The Exiled Sister
by Arcatdia
Summary: Long ago, the four Clans were in a state of prosper. Sure, they still fought and bickered, but overall everyone was satisfied. Then came the sisters with ambitious dreams. One will go on to become leader, while the other will live in exile. But when the exiled sister threatens ThunderClan, it's up to her sister to defeat her. But can sisters shed each other's blood?
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my story, everyone!**

**For those who don't know me, I'm Arcatdia/Sol/Benvolia/Whatever you want to call me. I'm known by quite a bit.**

**I've been writing since I learned how to pick up a pencil, but never got serious until I started writing ****_Warriors_**** fanfictions in the fifth grade. Granted, they were horrible, but they got me into thinking.**

**Now I want to share this one with you. ****_The Exiled Sister._**** It's a Mapleshade story, you'll soon figure out, and one I've been meaning to do for quite some time. **

**I'm not sure how long it'll be, or how often I can get around to updating it. But I'm planning on keeping it going for quite some time!**

**Enough from me. Read on!**

Chapter One

"Race you to the fresh-kill pile!" a small, white-and-ginger she-kit yowled. I pounded after her, quick on my feet. Our brother, an even smaller white kit, was right behind me.

We were ThunderClan kits, born in a time of great prosper for all the Clans there were more kits than usual, even. Ten were in the nursery right now, counting me and my littermates.

"I win!" The ginger kit, of course, made it to the pile first, having started a fox-length ahead of us. I panted as I stumbled to a halt beside her.

"No fair, Maplekit!" I protested. "You got a head start!"

"No I didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"What's going on here?" a deep voice behind us meowed. It was not our brother- he had snuck up behind me silently and was recovering violently on the ground. Maplekit and I whipped around, pelts bristling with fear.

A dark gray-furred tom with startlingly blue eyes looked down at us, whiskers twitching. Whether the sparkle in his eyes were from amusement or anger I could not tell and immediately shrunk inside my pelt.

"Jaykit started it," Maplekit squeaked, putting all the blame on me, as usual.

The tom looked ready to speak when he was interrupted by another voice, this one all too familiar to me and my siblings.

"You're scaring them, Breezestar," a ginger-and-white she-cat mewed, coming up from behind us.

"Mother!" I meowed, thankful for someone friendly. She nodded, but when her eyes fell on my brother, still struggling to breathe, her gaze hardened.

"How many times have I told you not to get Fledgekit wrapped up in your foolish games?" she scolded, scooping her son closer to her so she could lick him.

"Don't be too harsh on them, Morningshade," the dark tom purred, looking at all of us. "Let kits be kits."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you watched our kits every day, Breezestar."

Maplekit and I glanced at each other. Star? And he was our father?

"Our father's the Clan leader?" both Maplekit and I meowed in shock. Breezestar laughed.

"You didn't tell them?" he meowed to Morningshade.

She paused in her licking to answer. "Of course I didn't. I was thinking that their father would introduce himself in time."

"Maplekit, Jaykit, and Fledgekit," he mused, looking at each of us in turn. "Fledgekit, we'll have to get you stronger before your apprentice ceremony!"

Fledgekit coughed. "Yes sir."

"That's moons away," our mother interjected. "He just needs to rest is all."

"Have you spoken to Briarpelt about him?" he meowed, naming the Clan's medicine cat.

"Of course!" My mother's eyes flashed. "You would know that, you know, if you at least came to visit!"

I was taken aback. _Didn't Morningshade think it was cool to have a mate as the Clan leader?_ It certainly did not look like it; my mother looked ready to chomp Breezestar's pelt off. My father looked almost afraid of her.

"Mother?" Maplekit mewled. She was seeing the anger rolling off of our mother's dark ginger coat too.

"Let's go back to the nursery now," Morningshade meowed, picking up a now-sleepy Fledgekit by the scruff. She turned and trotted back to the nettle patch I called home.

Maplekit and I hesitated by our father.

"It's really cool to know you now," I meowed after a moment. Breezestar looked so dejected that I nuzzled his foreleg until he looked at me. "You're a Clan leader! Of course you must be busy."

"I should have at least seen you once or twice," he mumbled. "After all, you're a moon old!"

"Three," Maplekit mewed.

Breezestar blinked down at her. "What?"

"We're three moons old."

He growled, then sighed. "Do you two want to see my den? It's about time I do something with you."

"What about-" Maplekit slapped her tail across my mouth before I could finish. _What about Fledgekit?_ I glanced at the nursery as my sister bounced around us.

"We would love to see your den! Let's go now!"

Breezestar chuckled and began to lead us. On the way we passed a light tabby she-cat with a long tail.

"Breezestar," she meowed upon seeing him. Her whiskers twitched as she looked down at me and Maplekit. "Showing your daughters around, I see."

"I am, Yellowtail," Breezestar purred. Leaning down, he told us, "This is my deputy, Yellowtail. She's also my sister's daughter. This is Maplekit and Jaykit, Yellowtail."

She nodded in greeting then focused back on my father. "Sir, there was a problem today on the WindClan border..."

"Was there?" Breezestar's ears pricked forward. I leaned forward, eager to hear more, but my sister nudged my shoulder.

"Look at her scars!" Maplekit hissed. I nodded, following her gaze. Yellowtail had a mess of scars along her body. I would have wondered how she got them, but I was so fascinated with how my father and Yellowtail planned to go about an apparent border crossing by WindClan that I cod not focus on my sister's wounds.

"Then that's settled," Breezestar meowed after a while. "We'll wait until we can prove it, then take it up with Harestar."

"I'll inform the warriors to keep an eye out on the border in the meantime," his deputy meowed, and with one last friendly nod to me and my sister she left.

"Finally!" Maplekit mewed when she was gone. "Now can we see the leader's den? Please?"

"Were you paying attention at all?" I asked.

"Why? It was boring stuff. Like the elder's stories that aren't about battles."

"You won't be in a battle all the time when you're a warrior, Maplekit," I scoffed. "You have to learn tactics too!" I turned to my father, looking down at us with an amused expression. "Why would WindClan cross the border? Do you think you should set up a permanent watch on it?"

"Let us figure that out, okay little one?" he purred, nuzzling the top of my head. "Be a kit for a little longer."

"Okay," I mumbled, dejected.

"Can we go to you den now?!" Maplekit pleaded Breezestar.

"Of course," he laughed, and began leading us again.

The leader's den was under the Highrock, a large boulder my father used to call the Clan to meetings. I had been to a few meetings, but a was not tall enough to see above any cat's head to see the rock. Now that I could, I was amazed to find a small cave, its entrance covered by lichen.

"The elders say that long ago, a river carved this cave," Breezestar told us as he swept back the lichen to let us inside. The cave was cold compared to outside, the floor lined with soft sand. While Maplekit inspected every nook and cranny, I sat on the ground and shivered. Breezestar sat beside me and wrapped his tail around my body. He was warm, and I leaned against him great fully.

"Perhaps one day one of you will live in here," he meowed.

"Yes!" Maplekit yowled. "I will be Maplestar, and you," she peered at me, "you can be my loyal deputy!"

"What if I want to be leader?" I protested.

"Well we both can't be leader!"

I did not want to argue with my sister with my father watching. I snuggled closer to Breezestar's body and mewed, "Dad? What was your warrior name?"

"My name?" he pondered for a moment, then chuckled. "Breezejay. Isn't that something?"

My jaws dropped open. I was named after my father?

"That's so... AWESOME!" I meowed, leaping up with excitement.

"What will our warrior names be?" Maplekit mewed suddenly, coming back to us.

"Now that would be telling," Breezestar purred. But I was not listening.

I was named after ThunderClan's leader!

That had to be a sign, right?

"Jaystar," I whispered under my breath, too quietly for Breezestar and Maplekit to hear.

_Jaystar!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to another update, guys!**

**I decided on two update days since I have quite the amount of buffer chapters (I'm working on Chapter Eighteen now, believe it or not o.e). So expect updates on Tuesdays and Fridays!**

**Back to the story- and some of you may notice that while I claim it's a Mapleshade story, Jaykit's story is a bit more prominent. This goes on for some time, but our favorite villainess still gets her story told!**

**Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to add a review! It helps me a lot!**

Chapter Two

"This is a bad idea," I whispered to Maplekit as we watched the cats our father selected leave for the Gathering. "A really, really bad idea."

"You don't have to come," Maplekit reminded me.

"But neither does Fledgekit!"

"Fledgekit has to prove to our parents that he's strong, right Fledgekit?"

"Right," he coughed.

I was not so sure. At five moons old Maplekit and I were almost as tall as the youngest apprentices- but Fledgekit was so small, barely reaching my shoulder.

"This isn't a good way," I urged him. "Stay home with me, and let Maplekit get in trouble."

"Spoil-sport," Maplekit growled. "Stop being such a goody-four-paws."

"Stop dragging others into you plans," I retorted. I began to walk away, but paused. I had to try at least one more time to get Fledgekit to stay with me.

"Fledgekit, we could play cat-and-mouse," I suggested, naming his favorite game. His eyes lit up, but Maplekit interrupted.

"That's a kit game, isn't it Fledgekit? Not for warriors like you or me."

His face fell as he nodded. "Maybe tomorrow?" he mouthed. Heart in my throat, I nodded and headed back into the nursery.

Immediately I was hit by a fluff of dark golden and dark brown fur. My uneasiness was replaced with joy as I mock-growled and threw my attackers off.

"Don't think for one second you can get away with that," I snarled.

"We'll be apprentices in two days!" the brown tom meowed. "I'm going to get Thornswipe as a mentor, and he's going to teach me to be even stronger than you!"

"How do you know, Sparrowkit?" his brother, the golden tom, retorted, and pounced on him.

"Because mother requested him, of course!" Sparrowkit replied wringing in his brother's grasp. "Hey Goldenkit, let me go!"

Goldenkit let him up and glanced at me, green eyes warm. "Where's the Fledgling? I wanted to show him the stalking technique Larkpaw showed me the other day!"

Guilt filled my frame, and I looked at my paws.

"He... Went to the Gathering with Maplekit," I mumbled. The two gasped.

"But he can't!" Goldenkit mewed.

"He'll die!" Sparrowkit squeaked. I whimpered.

"He won't, will he?" I meowed, looking at Goldenkit.

"I don't know, but you'd better find him!"

"But I don't even know where Fourtrees is!" I protested. "Shouldn't we tell a warrior?"

"Breezestar already plans on not making him a warrior, do you want to ruin his chances?"

I shook my head. "Okay," I mewed. "I'll go and find them."

xxx

Following the cat scent was easy, and soon enough I found myself gazing down at the largest gathering of cats I had ever seen.

Scents hit me, hard. I had never smelled the sort or scents the other Clans carried, and I almost gagged at the stench. No one noticed me, a small kit hovering on the hill above the end of ThunderClan territory. Getting down was fun, I admit, but once I found myself surrounded by other Clans I realized how stupid this plan was.

A white cat had just finished speaking from on top of a large rock- the Great Rock?- and my father stepped forward. All of my misgivings about being there vanished and pride filled me. My father was the leader of ThunderClan! When he spoke, cats listened. I sat next to a scrawny white queen and an old tabby, ears perked, listening.

"I, too, have only joyous news to report. Tomorrow four of our kits will be apprenticed..."

_He's leaving out Fledgekit_, I realized with dismay. But perhaps it was for the best. Fledgekit was still weak, and maybe in another moon he would grow out!

But he meant me! _I was going to be one of the four apprentices tomorrow_! I almost puffed my chest out in pride, but relaxed when I realized no one knew I was here. I should _not_ be here. I listened some more.

"We were blessed with yet another litter, and ThunderClan looks forward to the antics Petalkit and Hawkkit will get into."

I tipped my head. We were? But the queen and the elder next to me began purring, so I joined in.

"ThunderClan thrives," Breezestar finished, and dipped his head as a cream colored she-cat closed the meeting.

Finally!

Now I could look for Maplekit and Fledgekit! But I had barely taken two paw steps forward when a voice snarled in my ear, "What are you doing here?"

It was my mother.


	3. Chapter 3

**Woops- I almost forgot to update today!**

**Sorry to leave off on a cliffhanger before… but now we get to see what happens next when Jaykit is found out!**

**And yay, more new cats!**

Chapter Three

"I said: what are you doing here?!" Morningshade growled as I crouched with fear.

"I..," I started.

"Jaykit!" My father joined us. My ears drooped, defeated. I was in trouble now. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Hope rose in my chest; my father did not sound angry. Rather, he sounded curious. I looked at him with eyes as blue as his own.

"Maple-" I began, but was cut off.

"Breezestar!" it was the cream she-cat who had closed the Gathering. "You never announced that your daughter has been apprenticed." Her amber eyes glittered in the moonlight. "Why is that, I wonder?"

My mother and I stiffened, but my father seemed relaxed as he lied, "She was so advanced for her age I apprenticed her a week before her littermates. They'll be apprenticed tomorrow, but I thought that they would like to be announced together."

I expected the she-cat to see through the tale, but she nodded. In fact, to my surprise, she even dipped her head to me.

"It's wonderful to see such a bright, young apprentice..," she trailed off for a moment, waiting to hear my name.

"Jaypaw," my mother meowed stiffly. It thrilled me to hear my future apprentice name.

"Jaypaw," the she-cat repeated. She turned to Breezestar. "I hope to see the rest of your kits the next moon."

"You will, Lightstar," he replied. I felt a thrill. _A leader wants to see me next Gathering!_

"Not for some time, actually," Morningshade hissed in my ear after Lightstar had left. My body slouched as I remembered that I actually did not belong here.

"Now, now, Morningshade," Breezestar cautioned. "Jaykit could have a perfectly good reason for being here." I looked at him hopefully, but I could see the anger burning deep in my father's eyes.

"I came here looking for Maplekit," I meowed as quietly as I could.

"Maplekit?!" my mother shrieked. Thankfully the din around us was too loud for anyone else to hear.

"Why is she here?" Breezestar demanded.

"She-"

"Who's watching Fledgekit?" Morningshade wailed. "You know he doesn't like to be without his family!"

"He's here," I squeaked. "Maplekit told him that he wouldn't be a warrior unless he proved himself and…"

Morningshade snarled and Breezestar looked around wildly. "Briarpelt!" he called, and a wiry black tom glanced up.

"Yes, Breezestar?" he meowed, then noticed me. "Jaykit!"

"She's Jaypaw here, for a while," my father cautioned. "Maplekit and Fledgekit are around here, too."

"Fledgekit!" Like my mother, Briarpelt was horrified. "If he made it all the way here… he could be in serious danger, Breezestar. He's so weak…"

"We have to find him!" I mewed, remembering Sparrowkit's words. _He'll die!_

"We can't go rushing around," Breezestar cautioned. "We can't let the other Clans know that ThunderClan has unruly kits."

"But he's our son!" Morningshade hissed. "The quicker we find him, the better off he'll be."

"It's against the warrior code to refuse your leader," Breezestar suddenly snarled. I shrank back. I had never seen Breezestar so angry before. "We _will_ find Fledgekit. But we will on our own."

Morningshade nodded, but her eyes were still brimming with hatred.

"I'll go with Morningshade," Briarpelt offered. "Jayki- Jay_paw_, why don't you go with your father?"

"Okay," I murmured, and followed my father as he stalked away. He seemed to relax once we were well away from Morningshade.

"Use your nose," he told me. "You know the scent of your littermates better than anyone. Can you scent them?"

I gave a large sniff, but could not smell anything besides the overwhelming smell of other Clans. I opened my mouth to tell him no, when I saw a familiar ginger-and-white pelt.

"This way!" I cried, charging to the edge of Fourtrees. The pelt had vanished inside a small rabbit hole just big enough for me to squeeze through.

"Maplekit?" I mewed softly.

"Jaykit!" came the muffled reply. "Help me! Fledgekit won't get up!"

Her words chilled me. _He'll die!_ Sparrowkit's words echoed in my mind. "I'm coming!" I yowled, and pelted down the tunnel.

"Jaypaw?" Breezestar's voice called from behind me.

"I found them!" I called back. "But Fledgekit won't get up!"

"Jay_paw_?" Maplekit questioned when I reached her, her amber eyes glowing with jealousy. "Were you apprenticed already?"

"It's my cover," I meowed, slightly frustrated that she was worried about _that_ when our brother was in trouble. "Move over, I'll keep him warm while you get Briarpelt."

"Why me? Why can't you do it?"

_Because I care about Fledgekit more than you!_ I snarled mentally as I curled around my sprawled brother. I could barely see his white pelt in the darkness. "Just go, Maplekit! Hurry!"

She sprinted away and I began licking Fledgekit's fur the wrong way, just as I had seen my mother lick him when he was cold. And cold he was; I would have thought he was dead if he was not gasping for breath. He was so weak he could not manage even a shiver.

"Jaykit?" he whimpered. "Is that you?"

"Hush, little brother," I mewed in the same soothing tones as our mother. "Everything will be all right now."

"I don't want to be a warrior anymore," he wailed. "It's so hard!"

"No one's forcing you," I meowed, trying to stay calm. "You can relax with the elders for the rest of your moons- you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"I can't get up! What if I die here!"

"I won't let you." I swallowed. "I won't let you die in the dark, brother. I love you."

"I love you too, Jaykit," he sighed, and fell asleep.

ThunderClan and WindClan cats started digging us out when his breathing relaxed. But by the time they reached us, at sunrise, it was too late.

My little Fledgling was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Updating a tad bit early as today is my first day of school! *Gulp* Wish me luck!**

**And how do you think Maplekit should have been punished for leading Fledgekit to his death? Breezestar, in my opinion, was a bit lax with his idea, but perhaps it's for the best.**

**And do some of the apprentices' names seem familiar? I should think so!**

Chapter Four

"From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Jaypaw."

I lifted my head as the Clan yowled my name. Pride and grief washed over me. _If only Fledgekit could see this,_ I thought. I lifted my eyes to Silverpelt and imagined I could see my little pale brother watching me proudly.

"Jaypaw! Jaypaw!" recently named Goldenpaw and Sparrowpaw shouted. They had already gotten their mentors; as Sparrowpaw predicted, he received Thornswipe, a burly tabby tom, and Goldenpaw would be trained by Nightwing, a black she-cat. I scanned the crowd, wondering who my mentor would be.

A flash of ginger near the nursery caught my eye. Maplekit was being punished for leaving the camp and ultimately leading Fledgekit to his death by not becoming an apprentice for another half-moon. She glared at me, but her voice rose above others as she hailed me by my new name.

"Jaypaw! Jaypaw!"

I looked up at my father, waiting for him to silence the Clan so that I could receive my mentor. But he looked back proudly at me. I knew, and the rest of the Clan knew, that I was his favorite daughter. While it made me feel special, I felt sort of bad for Maplekit. Not even Morningshade would speak to her anymore. My mother had barely come out of the nursery in the past two days, but I could see her in the front of the crowd now, her eyes sparkling as she welcomed her daughter to the starting ranks of the Clan.

Finally, the last of the yowls died down and Breezestar could make himself heard.

"Yellowtail!"

My spirits lifted. The _deputy_ would be my mentor! I could not help but wonder if Breezestar had considered himself to be my mentor, but dismissed the thought. Parents were not normally mentors to their children, although there were some rare cases…

"Yellowtail," he addressed her as she came towards me, "you have been my faithful deputy since I received my nine lives. I have complete trust that you will pass on your strong will and skillful planning to Jaypaw."

"Of course, sir," Yellowtail meowed, and reached down to touch noses with me. Her tone was curt, but I could see the pride in her eyes as she touched noses with me.

"Jaypaw! Goldenpaw! Sparrowpaw!" the Clan cried. "Jaypaw! Goldenpaw! Sparrowpaw!"

The meeting broke up, and Yellowtail led me to where Goldenpaw, Sparrowpaw, and their mentors were waiting.

"We'll begin with a tour of the territory," Yellowtail announced. I gave a little jump, and Goldenpaw purred. We will get to see more than this lousy camp now!

xxx

The sun had just started to set when we returned. I yawned, my paws tired. It seemed like ThunderClan territory went on forever!

Yellowtail purred at seeing my gaping jaws. "You deserve a rest," she told me. "Go sleep, I'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, Yellowtail," I mumbled, my sleepy feet stumbling on the ground. Goldenpaw and Sparrowpaw, with the sort of energy I could not muster, raced ahead of me.

Halfway to the apprentice's den, Maplekit stopped me.

"So how was it?" she mewed, jealousy still in her eyes.

"It was great!" I meowed. I gave her a nudge. "Hey, cheer up! It's only a half-moon until you'll become an apprentice!"

"Yeah, a half-moon with _her_." Maplekit glanced over to the nursery. "Morningshade blames me for Fledgekit's death."

_So do I,_ I thought. "And what do you think?"

"Me?" Maplekit looked stunned. "Of _course_ I blame myself! I told him to come with me! I should have listened to you!" She looked down at the ground and mumbled, "Do you blame me?"

_Yes,_ I thought. I nuzzled her cheek. "You're intentions were good," I meowed. "You wanted to help Fledgekit. You didn't know what would happen."

I remembered hearing one of the elders talk about how much he missed his sister.

"Remember, sisters are forever," old Greenswallow rasped. I had nodded, and now I realized what he meant. _Always forgive your sister, she'll always be there even in the darkest times._

Maplekit purred and returned my nuzzle. "Go to your new den!" she ordered, a new light in her eyes. "Say hi to Goldenpaw and Sparrowpaw for me- I miss them already!"

I purred and watched her trot back to the nursery. Morningshade was outside the entrance, watching our exchange. When Maplekit neared her, she got up and walked away, towards me. Maplekit glanced back, hurt, then scampered inside.

"Jaypaw," my mother purred when she was in front of me. "My little Jaypaw."

I ducked my head, embarrassed yet pleased.

"You better do everything your mentor tells you," Morningshade went on.

"I will," I chirped.

"Of course, my little warrior." She bent down to lick me on the head, then sighed. "I'm so proud of you!"

I hesitated before I meowed, "I'm going to be the best apprentice ThunderClan has ever seen… for Fledgekit."

I expected my mother to flash an angry retort, like I had seen her do whenever anyone else brought up my brother. But her gaze softened, sad and grateful.

"I'm sure you will," she murmured. "At least _you_ made sure he wasn't alone."

Ice filled my veins. I knew she blamed Maplekit, but my father was with me when I found Fledgekit. Did she blame him, too?

"You must be tired," my mother went on, oblivious to my state of shock. "Go, meet your new denmates. I'm sure they're excited to meet you!"

"Okay. Good-night, Morningshade," I mewed, but still my mother stopped me.

"If you ever need me, don't hesitate to go to the nursery. I know how hard it is to move to a new den, and no one will disrespect you if you want to sleep in my nest tonight."

"I think I'll be okay. 'Night Mom." I licked her cheek and trotted away, anxious to be away from her and think over what she said.

But the apprentices inside had other plans. As I stepped into the den immediately I was stopped by Frogpaw, the oldest apprentice, as he gave me a sniff-over.

"You don't stink of milk _that_ much," he allowed. "Come on in."

"I didn't think I had to pass a test," I stammered. _I thought getting my apprentice name was enough!_

"Lots of newbies don't," his sister, Larkpaw, mewed from her nest. "It's just a way to tell who has to sleep in the outer ring and who sleeps in the inner."

"Huh?" I was confused.

A brown tom came towards me, opening his mouth as if to explain further, but then tripped on his own feet. The den erupted into purrs, but I rushed over to help him up.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"That's Mumblepaw for you!" another apprentice, one I recognized as the she-cat Whitepaw, purred. "Always losing his footing.

"Put a mouse in it, Whitepaw!" a pale orange tom snapped. His pelt was completely different from Mumblepaw's, but the shape of their heads were the same. _Brothers_.

"It's okay, Weedpaw," Mumblepaw stammered. "It's all in good fun."

"What Frogpaw means," I turned and found Goldenpaw and Sparrowpaw on the edge of the clearing, Goldenpaw growling, "is that those who smell most like the nursery get placed on the outside where it's cooler, while those who've had time sleep in the middle, where it's warmer."

"Oh. But since I don't smell _that bad…_"

"Nope," Frogpaw cackled and nudged me backwards. I stumbled but kept my footing. "You're still on the outside, Jay_kit_."

I fluffed myself up. Frogpaw was due to receive his warrior name any day now, I knew. But I was the leader's daughter.

"You'd better not mess with me, Frogpaw," I snarled, my voice becoming deadly quiet. "Or I'll tell my father to make your warrior name Frog_kit_."

Frogpaw drew his dark ears back, the rest of his brown-and-black body quivering. "Don't you even dare!"

I felt almost giddy. A new apprentice, and I already have control over all of the older ones! "Then we," here I indicated Goldenpaw and Sparrowpaw with a sweep of my tail, "get to sleep in the middle nests with all of you."

"But-!"

I snarled.

Whitepaw chuckled. "I think we should let her, Frogpaw, before she requests that we all move to the outside too."

"Fine." Frogpaw backed away, his brown eyes never leaving me, and took his place on the other side of the den. On the way he bumped into a dark sharp, and I was surprised to see in move and growl.

"Watch it!" the shape snarled. "I'm trying to sleep here, if you don't mind!"

I was amazed yet again at how cold the den became as Frogpaw froze and stammered, "S-sorry, Ravenpaw. I didn't see you there."

"Clearly," the dark cat hissed, and curled up again.

"That's Ravenpaw," whispered Whitepaw in my ear. "His mother is Kestrelcall. We all think that his father is a rogue, because his mother has never shown interest in another tom."

"He's not a black cat either," Mumblepaw whispered in my other ear. "He's a really bright golden. But his mentor- also Kestrelcall- only takes him training at night. So his pelt is always dark."

"That's sad," I mewed softly. The two apprentices looked at me with surprise.

"Sad?" Mumblepaw meowed.

"He's never seen the sun." I remembered Ravenpaw now, from the nursery. His mother never let him outside, and was always curled around him in the den. Maplekit once tried to see him, but Kestrelcall hissed until she let the idea go.

"Maybe it's for the best," Goldenpaw meowed, coming to stand beside us. He gave a large sniff. "He smells like death. He's no cat."

"Shh!" Weedpaw hissed from his nest, a few rabbit-leaps from us. "Don't say that too loudly!"

Goldenpaw narrowed his eyes and padded over to Sparrowpaw, whispering in his ear. Sparrowpaw nodded at whatever he said, and I glanced over to the shape that was Ravenpaw. I felt bad for the poor tom, but I was too scared to go over and introduce myself after seeing the kind of power he had over the other apprentices. Perhaps he was best left alone.

I went over to the nest between Goldenpaw and Sparrowpaw and curled up. Both toms purred, and I felt at ease. Their scents _did_ smell quite a bit like the nursery. I wondered why my pelt had dislodged the scent so quickly.

The warmth of bodies around me relaxed me, and I soon felt myself fall into a deep, deep sleep…


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone!**

**So now we get to meet Ravenpaw a bit better now. Slightly. He's actually my favorite character, right above Maplepaw.**

**Which means Jaypaw is my third favorite, right? Wrong. I actually don't like her that much- her too perfect personality bugs me, and if I ever met her in real life I wouldn't actually be friends with her.**

**Just a fun fact! It doesn't mean I'm going to throw away this story completely!**

**On to Chapter Five, in which Jaypaw and the newly-named Maplepaw go to their second Gathering! In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly like territory description, so that's why I skipped Jaypaw's tour as well as not give a complete description of the journey to Fourtrees. Come on, guys- we've read territory tours how many times now?**

**Remember to review, favorite, and follow if you aren't already!**

Chapter Five

"It's our first Gathering!" Goldenpaw crowed, leaping around Sparrowpaw and me. I purred.

"Well, it's not mine," I teased.

"Stop showing off, Jaypaw. You know you weren't invited to your first one," my mentor's voice meowed behind me. I whirled around, my whiskers twitching.

"Yellowtail!" I mewed in greeting, touch my gray nose to her pink one.

Yellowtail purred, then cut herself off, looking over her shoulder.

"Your sister looks nervous," she mewed. She was right; Maplepaw, newly apprenticed, looked out of place as warriors, queens, elders, and apprentices circled around her. Her white paws kneaded the ground. "Go to her," Yellowtail advised. "As sisters, you should arrive together."

I nodded and bounded off. Maplepaw greeted me with a purr and we sat close to each other, pelts brushing.

"Are you excited?" I meowed over the voices of the Clan.

"Yes!" she replied, a sparkle in her eyes. "We're going as apprentices! We don't need to hide!"

I was about to reply when a caterwaul cut through the noise. The Clan silenced as a dark golden she-cat paced threateningly closer to Breezestar.

"I said I don't want my son to be there!" she yowled. "In the name of StarClan, heed a mother's desires!"

"And Ravenpaw asked me himself if he could come to this Gathering," Breezestar meowed calmly. To the rest of the Clan he would seem cool and collected, but I knew my father better than anyone and could see the slight bristle along his tail. "So take my advice, Kestrelcall, and leave him be."

Kestrelcall gave another frustrated yowl, and dragged her son out of the crowd leaving for the Gathering.

"Dearest Ravenpaw," she cooed. It made me feel sick, listening to a mother speak to her almost full-grown son that way. "My little kit. You don't want to go to the Gathering, do you?"

Ravenpaw spoke so quietly I had to lean forward to hear his answer. "I do."

Rage rippled through Kestrelcall's pelt. "How _dare_ you disagree with your mother! With your _mentor!_"

"Kestrelcall, that's enough," Breezestar meowed. He stood up. "Ravenpaw will be a warrior next moon. He needs to learn more about his enemies. Now, unless you want to be left behind, drop this argument and let's go."

Usually an apprentice would get excited to hear that his training was almost at an end, but even as I watched Ravenpaw showed no sign of excitement.

"That cat's weird," Maplepaw whispered in my ear. I nodded.

"I wonder why his name is 'Ravenpaw'?" I wondered out loud. "There's nothing dark about him."

"Maybe it has to do with the fact he's always in the dark?" my sister mewed with a shrug. "Hey! They're leaving!"

I looked. Sure enough, Breezestar was leading the Clan out of the gorse tunnel. "We'd better catch up!" I mewed. "Come on!"

xxx

The Gathering was a less daunting place once I was allowed in and not a frightened kit. I fell in step behind Breezestar and Yellowtail, Maplepaw and her mentor Squirrelpelt behind us.

A cream-colored cat jumped into our path, and I recognized her with a start. _Lightstar!_ I dipped my head respectively, and the others did the same.

"Breezestar," Lightstar meowed. "Yellowtail." She glanced down at me. "And young Jaypaw as well. Well met."

"Well met, Lightstar," Breezestar meowed. He looked back at Maplepaw. "Allow me to introduce my other daughter Maplepaw."

"Hi," Maplepaw squeaked. Squirrelpelt nudged her.

"You don't say just 'hi' to a Clan leader!" he hissed. Maplepaw's body drooped.

"Sorry, I meant _it's an honor to meet you,_" she whispered. Lightstar's whiskers twitched with amusement.

"I heard you have a son as well," Lightstar meowed to Breezestar. "I would be honored to meet him."

Breezestar stiffened and a fresh wave of grief swept over me. _Fledgekit should be here as well_, I thought miserably. Morningshade did not even come to the Gathering tonight. She did not want to be in the place her son died in.

"He's with StarClan now," Breezestar meowed solemnly. I expected Lightstar to be slightly satisfied with this news- after all, we were enemy Clans and one less warrior could mean the difference in a battle- but she looked stricken.

"I am so sorry," she meowed. "I grieve for your loss. No kit should be taken from his Clan so young."

"Thank you," I mewed. I knew it was out of place, but Lightstar's sympathy seemed genuine. I had to give her my gratitude.

_If I'm ever leader, that is how I will be_, I vowed. _Sympathetic, even to other Clans_.

Breezestar looked down at me proudly, and I used the warmth of his gaze to bring me out of my grief. _I will be twice a warrior, once for me and once for Fledgekit. He wouldn't want me to grieve too much, but to focus on my training._

"I will meet you on the Great Rock," Lightstar meowed to Breezestar, and sulked away. I watched her walk with fascination. Each Clan seemed to have a distinctive gait about them. Perhaps it had something to do with the place they lived in.

"Go with Maplepaw now," Yellowtail told me. "Learn as much about the other Clans as you can."

"But don't tell them much," Squirrelpelt warned. He was looking at Maplepaw as he spoke, and she shrunk under his gaze.

_Poor Maplepaw. She got the meanest cat in the Clan as a mentor._ Perhaps Breezestar planned this, as a way of punishing her for Fledgekit's death. _But it wasn't her fault, at least not that much. She isn't the brightest star in the sky._

I nudged her away from the older cats, and we sprinted towards where the scent of ThunderClan apprentices were coming from.

I was surprised to see Froghop there. Since he received his warrior name, he had stayed far away from the apprentice's den. Especially me; he still believed that I had power over him. After he received his warrior name and I came to congratulate him, all he said was, "Thanks. I mean, for not making my name Frogkit."

I purred at the memory, and Maplepaw shot me a look. _Frogkit,_ I mouthed at her, and she giggled. I had told her all about my first night as an apprentice and what to expect the day of her ceremony. I would never leave my sister in the dark about anything.

As we approached the group, I heard a voice I could have sworn was familiar, but I could not give it a name. Maplepaw and I pushed through the crowd, and I was amazed to see it was Ravenpaw, telling a story!

"The owl screamed at me, but I wasn't going to let it have my prey! I reached up and hooked its feathers with my claws, like this." He reached up on his hind legs, and I silently gasped at the state of his belly fur. It was so matted with mud and- was that _prey_ blood?! None of the other apprentices seemed to notice, and Ravenpaw dropped back on all fours. "Then I dragged the bird to the ground and killed it."

"No you didn't!" said a mottled tom from ShadowClan.

"Yes he did!" I meowed. Eyes swiveled towards me, and I stammered, "I-I mean, I remember my mother lining my nest with owl feathers one morning and said an apprentice caught one."

I expected Ravenpaw to be angry over interrupting his story, but he nodded, his green eyes warm. "I still have a wing feather under my nest," he admitted.

"Can you show us when we get home?" Maplepaw asked, her pelt quivering.

"Of course!" he meowed, nodding.

"How big was the owl?" a RiverClan she-cat asked.

"Bigger than a cat." There were gasps of shock and admiration. Then came the flood of questions.

"Did it hurt you?"

"What did it look like?"

"What did it _taste_ like?"

"For a cat so quiet," I murmured in Maplepaw's ear, "he is a good storyteller."

"I wish he could have spoken up sooner," she replied. I noticed a twinkle in her amber eyes and purred.

"You like him," I teased. She tensed up.

"No I don't!"

"Oh, yes you do!"

A yowl sounded from the top of the Great Rock. The meeting was about to begin!

"Come on!" I meowed to Maplepaw, and together we ran to the ThunderClan side of the clearing to hear what the leaders would say. As I was just settling down, a paw prodded my tail.

"Is it okay if I sit with you?" It was Ravenpaw. "I don't want to sit next to Kestrelcall."

I purred. "I don't blame you. Go ahead." I made room so that he could sit next to Maplepaw as well. She shot me a half-angry, half-grateful look.

"Thanks," he whispered. After a moment, as Lightstar made her way forward on the Great Rock, he murmured, "Thanks for sticking up for me back there."

"You're welcome," I whispered. Then, for no reason, I added, "I'm Jaypaw, by the way."

He looked at me, amused. "I know."

My skin grew warm under my pelt. "I'm just saying that because we never properly met."

"Whatever you say." He looked forward. "I'm Ravenpaw. Nice to meet you, Jaypaw."

I wanted him and Maplepaw to be together, so that my sister has someone other than me who loves her.

So why did I feel so happy being near Ravenpaw?


	6. Chapter 6

**You wanted more Ravenpaw? You ****_get_**** more Ravenpaw!**

Chapter Six

_"WHAT?!"_

I awoke to Kestrelcall's caterwaul. Startled out of my dream, I jumped up and tripped over Maplepaw, struggling out of her own nest.

"Are we under attack?!" she cried. "Jaypaw? _Jaypaw!_"

"Calm down, Maplepaw!" I mewed, regaining my balance. It's just Kestrelcall."

"'Just Kestrelcall'? Isn't that the same thing?" Weedpaw joked. He nudged Mumblepaw out of his nest. "Come one, you big furball! We need to be prepared for whatever mess Kestrelcall is storming up this time!"

"She does this a lot?" I mewed.

"Oh, yes!" Whitepaw agreed with a purr. "Remember when Froghop and Larksong got their warrior names, Weedpaw? You wouldn't remember, Jaypaw. You were out on the sun-high patrol and came back just in time for the ceremony."

"I remember," Maplepaw put in. "Kestrelcall was asking Breezestar to give Ravenpaw his warrior name."

"'Asking'?" Weedpaw snorted. "_Demanding_ more likely. She was so angry I bet ShadowClan could hear her."

We all purred, but yet another screech from Kestrelcall made us flinch.

"We'd better see what's caught in her throat this time," I murmured. "Come on, everyone."

I led the way. Ever since my first night I had established a sort of leadership over the apprentices, and while I had not asked for it I felt natural leading even the older apprentices. I was fair. No one challenged me. It was a natural, easy thing to do.

Breezestar was leading a bristling Kestrelcall out of his den when we arrived in the clearing. He hopped onto the Highrock and called the Clan together:

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

"Maybe I'll get my warrior name!" Whitepaw whispered, pelt fluffing up with excitement. Maplepaw rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

I was surprised to see Ravenpaw out in the morning light, shining in the sun. He caught my eyes and held them, then looked away.

"It's Ravenpaw!" Weedpaw hissed. "What's he doing here?"

"He was acting really weird at the Gathering last night," Sparrowpaw whispered.

"How so?" Even Mumblepaw was curious.

"He was… _talking_."

"What?" Whitepaw hissed.

Maplepaw whipped around. "Maybe if you guys gave him a chance he would talk to you too!" she spat. The other apprentices shrank back, but I held my ground.

"You're making it obvious," I whispered in her ear as she sat heavily down next to me.

"What?" she snapped.

"That you _like_ him!" I giggled.

Unlike last night, she softened. "Sitting next to him was the best thing ever," she gushed. "Thanks for getting him next to me!"

I purred, touching her ear with my nose. "Anything for you."

Around us cats were silencing, so I turned and focused on Breezestar. He looked angry in my eyes, but he hid his feelings well. He looked at me, seemed to draw strength and began to speak:

"I, Breezestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors for I mistake I have made."

Cats began whispering, and even I was confused. What was Breezestar saying?

"I have allowed the warrior code to be broken under my leadership, and for that I am deeply sorry."

I glanced over at Ravenpaw as Breezestar bent his head. Kestrelcall had been in the leader's den this morning, so was this about Ravenpaw? But what had Ravenpaw done?

"One of my warriors has fallen in love with a cat from another Clan, and had kits." He paused. "More specifically, one kit."

The Clan gasped. Ravenpaw looked horrified. Kestrelcall snarled.

"Are you accusing me of-" she began, but Breezestar cut her off.

"Lightstar has told me herself!" he roared. "Even I saw you with the warrior Rattooth by the border, telling him of your son!" He visibly calmed himself. "It makes sense now. You're training Ravenpaw with ShadowClan methods- hunting and fighting by night, making him nocturnal. You wouldn't let him come to the Gathering because of how similar he looks to his father.

"You want to know the worst part, Kestrelcall? Lightstar was the one who pointed it out. She said that she's seen you in ShadowClan territory once or twice, and when I denied it she pointed out how similar Ravenpaw and Rattooth seem. I _trusted_ you, Kestrelcall. We all did. But now all that trust is gone."

Maplepaw pressed closer to me, and I was grateful for her warmth. The entire clearing was chilly, and not just because of the leaf-fall frost.

"Therefore I banish you. Leave ThunderClan. Go to ShadowClan- I don't care. ThunderClan never wants to see you again."

Kestrelcall looked stunned. I expected that she never thought this would happen.

"At… at least let me have my son," she meowed.

Ravenpaw gave a strangled cry and dug his claws into the ground. I stood up.

"Father, no!" I shouted. My Clanmates looked at me- an apprentice interrupting a Clan meeting, of all things- but I did not care. "Ravenpaw is a good, loyal cat. ThunderClan would be well off with him in it."

Ravenpaw looked at me, eyes filled with gratitude, but Kestrelcall snarled.

"Are you going to let a petty _apprentice_ tell you what to do, Breezestar?" she growled.

"Or are you going to let a rancid piece of lying _crowfood_ tell you what to do?" I challenged, glaring at her. I still had not mastered any fighting skills, but I was not going to let one of my Clanmates get exiled because of something he could not control.

But my point was made. "Leave, Kestrelcall," Breezestar growled. "Your son belongs with us. With ThunderClan."

"Even though he's half-Clan?" she tested.

"He's more ThunderClan than you!" Mumblepaw- _the_ Mumblepaw- shouted, and suddenly all of us apprentices were yowling, "Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw!"

ThunderClan joined in the cry. "Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw!"

I slinked through the crowd to stand next to Ravenpaw, still chanting his name. Maplepaw, Whitepaw, and even Yellowtail joined me. Ravenpaw looked flustered, but gave out a loud purr, nuzzling both me and Maplepaw.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"Just be a bit more friendly, eh?" Whitepaw joked.

"What about Ravenpaw's training?" Kestrelcall yowled above the chanting. At her voice, the Clan grew silent.

"That won't be a problem," Breezestar meowed smoothly. "_I_ will mentor him."

There were more cheers from the ThunderClan cats, and I nudged Ravenpaw. "You're going to be mentored by _our leader_!"

"I know!" he said, his green eyes bright.

But Kestrelcall looked anything but honored to have her son trained by her former leader. "Please, reconsider," she begged. She sounded desperate, but I could see right through her façade. "All I want is to watch my son grow. You have daughters- you've even lost a son. You _must_ understand where I'm coming from with this!"

Breezestar's eyes softened with understanding, but I yowled, "Father, no! She's trying to get on your good side!" I did not think he could hear me over the yowls and snarls of ThunderClan, but his eyes touched mine and he nodded.

"Leave, Kestrelcall. _Now_, before I call my warriors to drag you out of camp."

Some of the biggest warriors and even Weedpaw stalked forward and Kestrelcall shrank back, hissing. She must have known that she was no match for ThunderClan's best.

"You'll regret this, Breezestar," she snarled. She pushed passed the warriors and the rest of the Clan to sprint to the gorse tunnel, but before she disappeared behind the brambles she yowled one last warning:

"I'll be back!"


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm updating this a bit early since I plan to do quite a bit of stuff tomorrow.**

**This, I think, is my favorite chapter. Well, one of them. It's also the longest that I've written thus far. Enjoy!**

Chapter Seven

Moons later I found myself in a cold stream, shivering as I stared at the challenge in my opponent's eyes.

"Okay, you win!" I yowled, leaping out of the stream. Ravenpaw laughed.

"Clearly you're not a RiverClan warrior," he meowed, shaking the water off of his forelegs.

"Of course not!" I meowed, dodging the droplets he was flinging in my direction. "I'm ThunderClan!" After a moment, I added, "And so are you."

A shadow crossed his eyes and he sat down. "I don't know... It's taking me so long to master daylight hunting. Cats who are younger than me are getting their warrior names. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this kind of thing after all."

"Don't say that!" I protested. "Me, Maplepaw, Goldenpaw, and Sparrowpaw are all still apprentices!"

"Yes, but Whitedrop, Weedwhisker, and Mumblefoot aren't," he pointed out. I growled with frustration.

"Breezestar said himself that getting used to daylight hunting would be hard after a lifetime of being in the dark." I pushed him with a friendly prod on the shoulder with my foreleg. "The sunlight suits you, you know."

He purred. "I have to admit, I look pretty good now, huh?"

"You narcissistic piece of fox-dung!" I gasped as he laughed. "Go fall in love with your reflection!"

His gaze softened and he looked ready to speak, but a yowl cut through the air.

"I hate Morningshade!" Maplepaw snarled as she stalked closer to us. "Oh! Hello, Ravenpaw!"

Ravenpaw stiffened. He only opened up to me and Breezestar, I knew. Me because I had supported him many times over, and Breezestar because my father was his mentor. But not Maplepaw. Especially not Maplepaw. While it made me sad- she really liked him but he would never like her- it relieved me to know I had a pretty good chance with him.

"What did Morningshade do now?" I meowed. Morningshade had still not forgiven Maplepaw, I knew, but then again neither had I, completely. I just knew that Fledgekit would have liked it better if we just moved on and remembered him fondly.

"I offered to clean out the nursery- I know, shocker- and she told me that it would be better if I stayed away from the kits." She sighed huffily. "Then she told one of the queens to ask her real daughter- as if I didn't even exist! It's not fair!"

"Did you tell her that you're sorry for Fledgekit's death?" I asked.

"Of course! But every time I mention Fledgekit she either gets all quiet or gets angry. I swear she's no better than Breezestar."

I bristled. No one criticized my father in front of me! "What did our father ever do to you? He already plans on giving you your warrior name with me even though you started late."

"He's better but he still gets cold with me. He's probably going to give mean crummy warrior name too, like Mapledeath-of-my-son, or Maplebad, or Maplecrowfood. Neither of them thinks of me as their daughter anymore, they just fawn over you!"

I licked her ear, trying to soothe her. "They may not think of you as their daughter, but you'll always be my sister," I whispered. Maplepaw relaxed.

"Thanks, Jaypaw," my sister mewed. Her amber eyes left mine and centered on something behind me.

"Look at that, slinking off into the shadows again," she purred quietly. I did not have to ask whom she was talking about; she was definitely looking at Ravenpaw. "I can't wait until we're warriors so I can tell him I love him."

"Why don't you tell him now?" I asked, nervous and guilty. Better she get it over now.

"Because no one has a mate as an apprentice," she mewed, rolling her eyes. "Duh."

"Right," I coughed. "Well, Ravenpaw and I have to finish cleaning out the elder's den..."

"Right," Ravenpaw's quiet mew spoke behind me. I flinched. As much as it pained me to think it, he really was part ShadowClan; he moved as quietly as a shadow.

"I'll help you!" Maplepaw meowed, brightening. I suppressed a groan and nodded. Ravenpaw growled quietly.

"We need moss," I instructed. I was still the leader of the apprentices, especially since, other than Ravenpaw, I was the oldest apprentice. Waterpaw, Blackpaw, Rainpaw, and Deerpaw listened to me and followed every order I gave them. Mostly it was to clog up a draft or fix the bedding, but it was nice to be followed anyway. Even the warriors noticed, and usually if an apprentice stepped out of line a warrior would take it up with me instead of a mentor or even Breezestar. Yellowtail even asked me for advice every now and then, even though she was my mentor. "We can collect some at the top of the ridge, come on."

Nearing the gorse tunnel I found a good, healthy clump of green moss. Giving a purr of satisfaction, I headed towards it. Teeth grabbed my tail and I whipped around to see Ravenpaw holding me back, ears pricked and listening.

"There are yowls in the clearing," he whispered.

"I smell ShadowClan!" Maplepaw hissed.

_ShadowClan!_

We raced through the gorse tunnel, not bothering to be careful of the thorns lodging themselves in our pelts.

We erupted into camp in the midst of a battle.

I was frozen for a moment, fear flooding me. I had never been in a battle before! Then rage replaced the fear and all of my battle training came back to me. How dare ShadowClan invade our home!

"Lousy fox-hearts!" I yowled, throwing myself into battle. I clawed at whatever unfamiliar pelt I could find, trying to keep the cats off of my Clanmates. One mousy tom tried to blind-side me but I quickly threw him off, giving him such a heavy clout to the head that he stumbled as he raced out of the clearing.

One down, I thought. The rest of the Clan to go.

Then a heard a chilling yowl.

"Morningshade!"

It was Breezestar. I slithered between the bodies to where the thick of the fighting was and stopped, numbness spreading through me.

Blood still poured from my mother's torn throat, but she was no longer moving. My body shook as I looked at the dark golden she-cat who had killed her.

"Kestrelcall," I whispered, then yowled, "Kestrelcall!"

The now-ShadowClan warrior glanced up at me, happiness and my mother's blood mixing all over her pelt. "I told you I would be back, Breezestar!" she snarled gleefully. But that was wrong. Breezestar was behind her, staring in frozen horror at his mate's body.

Did she think I was my father?

"Die, Breezestar!" Kestrelcall growled, and she flung herself at me.

Grief over my mother's death caused me to go on the defensive. My paws flashed wildly as the crazy she-cat clawed me over and over and over. Soon blood was running into my eyes and I was blinded. I yowled for help, but no aid came for me. I fell to the ground and felt teeth clamp over the soft of my neck.

The death bite.

I was going to die!

Then Kestrelcall yowled with pain releasing me. Something small fell to the ground beside me and I felt for it. A thorn! It must have lodged itself to my thick fur when I was running through the barrier. I had no time to thank StarClan, however. Trying to blink my blood from my eyes, I struck out blindly. My claws sank deep into soft flesh, and warm liquid ran down my foreleg, and Kestrelcall gave a choked scream before falling onto my body. I knew what had happened before I heard Lightstar call out, "ThunderClan has killed one of our warriors! Retreat, ShadowClan, retreat!"

"I killed her," I whispered, blood running from my eyes. The sun blinded me, but I could still recognize the shapes of Ravepaw, Maplepaw, and Breezestar when they leaned over me.

"Come on, Jaypaw, get up!" Maplepaw begged. "I can't lose you!"

I closed my eyes, the body of Kestrelcall still on top of me.

xxx

We buried her at sunset. Breezestar, Maplepaw, and I. But we did not bury Kestrelcall. We left her by the side of the Thunderpath for ShadowClan to take her, if they wanted her.

But we laid Morningshade to rest beside her warrior ancestors. And then returned to camp so Breezestar could call the Clan together.

"Cats of ThunderClan, I regret to tell you that Morningshade has passed in a ShadowClan raid that is assumed to be for taking Ravenpaw."

I looked over at the golden tom, hiding in the shadows of the camp. He met my gaze for a moment then looked away guiltily. I did not blame him for this. This was something out of his control. Besides, I killed his mother in return. The thought made me feel sick to my stomach and I pushed it from my mind.

_Are you with Fledgekit now, mother?_ I thought. I hoped so. She deserved it after all of this.

"But I have happier news with the bad. Three of our apprentices have proven themselves worthy of becoming warriors."

I looked up. Beside me, Maplepaw jumped up, giving out a squeak of happiness. Even Ravenpaw stepped out of his shadows.

"Yes!" Whitedrop cried out, giving me a nudge.

"It's about time!" Weedwhisker purred. Mumblefoot came towards me and Maplepaw, but tripped and fell to his belly. He gave us an approving nod instead, while cats around him erupted into amused purrs.

"If only we weren't on the dawn patrol!" Goldenpaw looked at Sparrowpaw. "Then we would have been in battle, and probably be getting our warrior names too!"

Someone pushed me forward towards the Great Rock, and I turned to see Yellowtail urging me on, her eyes sparkling with pride.

"Go on," she urged. "You've deserved this many times over."

I purred and raised my head to Silverpelt. "I'll receive my warrior name for you, Fledgekit," I whispered. "Are you watching? Is mother with you?" A breeze stirred my pelt, and I purred. They were watching.

I met with Maplepaw and Ravenpaw at the foot of the Great Rock. Maplepaw and I nuzzled, and I mewed to Ravenpaw, "I told you you would get your warrior name!"

His whiskers twitched. "And I always knew you would get yours."

Breezestar jumped down from his perch and landed between us. "I, Breezestar, look upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these young cats. They have trained hard to learn your warrior code, and I command them warriors in turn."

I thrill of excitement coursed through me, replacing any grief and guilt that was still in my body.

"Do you, Jaypaw, Ravenpaw, and Maplepaw, agree to uphold the warrior code and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Maplepaw meowed quickly.

"I do," Ravenpaw meowed, his usually quiet voice echoing around the camp.

"I do," I meowed, understanding the weight of this promise. I had been ready for this my whole life.

"Then, Ravenpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Ravensun." Ravensun's eyes widened at his new name, and his green eyes glowed as Breezestar went on, "StarClan honors your loyalty and commitment, and welcomes you as a warrior of ThunderClan."

"Ravensun! Ravensun! Ravensun!" I joined in with the Clan's cry. It was a name with meaning. My father was telling him that Ravensun was as good a nighttime warrior as he was a daytime one. Eyes full of emotion, Ravensun stepped back as Maplepaw took a step forward.

Breezestar paused before addressing the Clan, "I have thought long and hard over the names of my daughters. Maplepaw once asked me, as a kit, what her name would be and I did not know. And as of this morning, I was still at a loss. But recent events have changed that, and I know my daughters should carry their history in their names." His voice shook as he meowed, "Maplepaw, from this moment on you will be Mapleshade. StarClan honors your energy and strength, and welcomes you as a warrior of ThunderClan."

I could see the disappointment in Mapleshade's eyes as she licked our father's shoulder. She did not want our mother's name. Our mother, the parent who hated her. But she did not speak out as the Clan called her name.

Then it was my turn.

Breezestar took a step forward to me, his eyes filled with love and pride. "Jaypaw," he whispered, so quietly only I could hear him. "My precious Jaypaw."

I already knew what my warrior name would be after Mapleshade received hers, but I still relished every word my father breathed as he announced, "Jaypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Jayfledge. StarClan honors you for your sensitivity and courage, and welcomes you as a warrior of ThunderClan."

I licked my father's shoulder as he rested his head on mine, listening to the Clan call out my new name. As I took a step back, I heard two more voices mix in with the cries of my Clanmates and- yes, there!- just behind Ravensun and Mapleshade were Morningshade and Fledgekit, hailing me by my new name.

"Jayfledge! Jayfledge! Jayfledge!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Nothing much to say this time, so… happy reading!**

Chapter Eight

Snow was just beginning to fall when Yellowtail relieved us from our vigil. I had never seen snow before, and was immediately wide-awake.

"You've never seen snow before, have you?" Ravensun meowed. He dabbed at one that was slowly twirling towards my nose.

"No..," I murmured, and sat back on my haunches to prod at the flakes with both of my paws. I purred as I felt a cold tingle, and watched as it melted on my soft pink pads.

"Snow isn't always a good omen, right Ravensun?" Mapleshade meowed. She purred and rubbed her head against his flank. "You were born in leaf-bare, so all of this isn't new to you like me and Jayfledge."

Ravensun nodded and eased himself away for my sister's caress, heading quickly towards the apprentices' den.

"Wrong den!" I called. Ravensun waved his tail, acknowledging my words, and headed into the warriors' den.

"We sleep there now," I told Mapleshade proudly. But she was looking at where Ravensun disappeared to with narrowed eyes.

"He likes me," she meowed. "He _wants_ me, even." She purred. "Now that we're warriors, we can be mates. We can have kits, even." Then she snarled. "And I'll be the kind of mother Morningshade never was."

xxx

A half-moon later, the full moon glistened like stars on the snow. I had time to enjoy snow, but now I was hating it as I sprinted behind Breezestar and Yellowtail. It clumped in my long fur, and prey was scarce. Even Ravensun was noticeably thinner, and he was already a thin cat to begin with.

"Enjoying yourself, Jayfledge?" I turned to see a familiar golden pelt, lighter and less complicated than Ravensun's.

"Of course, Goldenpool," I snarked. "I won't need to clean my fur- the snow-melt will do it for me!"

"And her pelt keeps her warmer," Sparrowflight added, his short brown tabby pelt spiked with wet snow and the cold. "Could it get any colder?"

Breezestar glanced back at us, amused. "Listen to them, Yellowtail. Youngsters going through their first leaf-bare. Remember your first?"

"Oh, yes. The trees were coated with so much ice that it was a danger to walk outside. That how my mother died- a branch fell on her head." Her eyes clouded her over, and I felt bad for her. I remembered how I felt when I saw my mother's body, and murmured sympathetically. Yellowtail blinked at me gratefully.

Ravensun's pelt brushed mine, and a peeked at him. He looked out of place, hearing of someone who loved her mother. I purred quietly and he flashed me a glance filled with… love? I looked away bashfully. I did not want to talk about feelings around other cats, especially in front of my father. He, as well as the rest of the Clan with the exception of Mapleshade, had noticed how close we were. I did not mind the rumors, and I do not think Ravensun cared either. We would wait to confess everything in our own time.

But my father had other plans. Once he summoned me to his den and just to tell me: "Stay as my little she-kit for a little while longer."

We reached the top of the ridge where ThunderClan territory melted into Fourtrees. Breezestar made us pause there, waiting for the stragglers to catch up. Mapleshade was one of them, I knew. She was planning on confessing her love to Ravensun in the shadows of one of the four oaks.

"It'll be more romantic to me," she whispered to me before we headed out. "He loves the darkness- I have to show him I have a dark heart, too."

"Maybe this is a bad idea," I had meowed. "You don't even know if he likes you!"

"Of course he likes me!" Mapleshade seemed surprise. "The way he looks at me when you're not looking- he's totally smitten with me!"

Whitedrop had told me something similar. "Whenever you're not looking, Ravensun looks at you," she whispered one day when we were sharing a scrawny rabbit together. Normally I would have eaten with Mapleshade, but Yellowtail had put her on a hunting patrol.

"Does he?" I started to turn but Whitedrop put a warning paw on my shoulder. "Don't look now! Then he'll stop!"

"I need something reflective, then," I giggled silently.

"Mapleshade thinks the looks are for her," Whitedrop added. "He looks away when whoever you're with looks at him, so she thinks he's just too shy to talk to her. It's hilarious, really."

"That's not nice," I protested, but secretly I was pleased. A tom liked me!

"Earth to Jayfledge," Ravensun whispered in my ear. "We're about to leave."

I blinked in real time. Sure enough, Breezestar waved his tail forward and we plunged down the ravine. Cats from other Clans backed away when we skidded to a halt. As usual, we were the last to arrive, and I could see the three other leaders pacing on the Great Rock.

"It's about time!" the gray RiverClan leader, Graystar, called. My eyes shifted to the cat beside him, Lightstar. I felt my lips draw back in the beginnings of a snarl.

"Remember the truce," Yellowtail warned in my ear.

"Of course," I meowed, forcing myself to calm down. As she went to her spot at the base of the Rock, I glanced beside me to where Ravensun was just moments ago. He had disappeared, undoubtedly to the shadows where he would not be noticed. I winced, knowing that he was heading straight for Mapleshade's trap.

"Excuse me," ShadowClan scent filled my nose as a voice murmured in my ear, "but are you Jaypaw?"

I turned and stared face-to-face with a shiningly golden tabby tom.

_Ravensun's father,_ I realized with a start. _Rattooth._

"I'm Jayfledge now," I meowed, puffing out my chest proudly.

"Yeah, yeah, congrats and all that," he meowed, rolling his eyes. "But you're the cat who killed Kestrelcall?"

My heart leaped. My mother had warned me that ShadowClan cats did not care about the full moon truce. Would Rattooth try to avenge his mate?

"I..," I started.

"Father." Silent as ever, Ravensun was beside me. "I see you've met my mate, Jayfledge."

_Mate?!_ I glanced at him sharply, but he was looking sternly at the cat he called 'father.'

"Mate, eh?" Rattooth's eyes flashed. "I take it you're not grieving for your mother either, then, if you've fallen in love with her murderer."

_Oh._ Rattooth's eyes were not filled with hatred, but with _gratitude_. She must have been one crazy she-cat if even her mate was glad she was dead.

Ravensun nodded, and Rattooth dipped his head.

"Then I guess congratulations are in order for the happy couple then, huh?" He looked me over. "She's certainly a looker. May StarClan give you many happy moons together."

"Thank you, Rattooth," Ravensun meowed.

"Thank you," I murmured, my skin burning. Once the ShadowClan warrior left, I whispered furiously, "_Mates?!_"

He glanced at me. "I thought he was going to hurt you. Mates were the only thing I could think of to stop him from causing you any harm."

"But-" I glanced back at the shadows. Mapleshade was looking at the her paws, all alone. Ravensun leaned closer to my ear.

"You know you could have warned me about _that_."

I felt indignant. "She's my sister. I can't tell her secrets to anyone." As I spoke Mapleshade looked up at me, eyes filled with hurt. "What did you _say_ to her?!"

"I told her she wasn't the daughter of Breezestar I had fallen in love with." His skinny tail swept around me and I grew warm all over again. "You know, this wasn't the place I was hoping to have this discussion but…"

And it was not going to be. Before Ravensun had a chance to continue, Graystar screeched, "WindClan is ours!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the lack of updating on Friday- I don't know what's wrong with me! Anyway, let's continue to the end of the Gathering, shall we?**

**If you think you know who that new ShadowClan warrior is, then chances are you do! He's one of the few cats that are canon to the actual series.**

**Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all on Friday! Don't forget to comment!**

Chapter Nine

WindClan warriors immediately sprung up and started howling challenges at the RiverClan leader. The WindClan leader, a pale silver tabby, yowled for silence.

"I'm sure Graystar has a perfectly good reason as to his outrageous statement," she mewed. "Graystar? Care to expand?"

"Certainly," I barely heard him hiss. He dropped off the Great Rock and paced menacingly closer to the WindClan group.

"These rabbit-brains have been leaving scent marks and stealing our prey well inside our territory!"

WindClan cats yowled, but their leader merely flicked her ears.

"I don't agree with what you're saying, Graystar. In WindClan we've still been eating land prey. Not your slimy fish."

The RiverClan leader snarled as the WindClan cats yowled agreements. "You think this is funny, Harestar?" he yowled. "If I smell your disgusting stench on my territory, WindClan will be no more."

He ran back to the Great Rock and hissed something in Harestar's face, then moved aside on the far end of the rock to allow Lightstar to take his place.

I growled under my breath, and Ravensun gave me a comforting purr. This was the she-cat who ordered the attack that would kill my mother. How could she look so calm and collected, I wondered, when her very words led to the murder of Morningshade?

"ShadowClan is doing well," she announced. "We have a new warrior, Cedarbranch."

"Cedarbranch!" cats around me yowled. "Cedarbranch!"

Ravensun nodded towards the ShadowClan cats. "He barely looks old enough to be an apprentice, let alone a warrior," he sneered. I purred with agreement; the small warrior had to stand up in order to be the sitting height of a warrior. But I could see battle scars on his sides and experience in his eyes. _He'll grow in time,_ I thought.

"I also ask ThunderClan for forgiveness." I was shocked as she dipped her head to Breezestar. "Your exiled warrior sought my Clan for her revenge, and my toms were too weak against the charms she used."

Her eyes flashed, and I realized what she meant. Ravensun looked sick. Rattooth looked over at his son and mouthed "Now you understand why you were made?"

I thought of the crazy she-cat and shuddered. Gross!

"Then ThunderClan has forgiven," Breezestar meowed, and I felt a shock. I would never forgive those weak-hearts for what they had done to my family! I dug my claws in the frozen ground and waited until Lightstar stepped back and Breezestar came forward.

"ThunderClan mourns the loss of Morningshade, but comes to you today with not one but five new warriors." His eyes glowed. "Jayfledge, Ravensun, Mapleshade, Goldenpool, and Sparrowflight."

I lifted my head as the other Clans cheered my new name. Even Ravensun sat up straighter, although when I looked back Mapleshade was still in the shadows, looking at her paws.

The rest of the Gathering went on more or less uneventful. When Lightstar brought it to a close I stood up and stretched.

"I'd better check on Mapleshade," I murmured to Ravensun, and touched his ear with my nose in farewell. I could see the disappointment in his eyes, but as much as I wanted to talk to him I knew I had to see my sister first.

"Mapleshade," I mewed as I came closer. "I'm so sorry."

"I should have known he was looking at you," she whispered miserably, hugging her tail close to her body. "I'm such a mouse-brain."

"No you're not!" I protested. "Toms can be real jerks when it comes to she-cats' feelings. You'll find mate soon, I promise."

She looked at me with big amber eyes. "Are you and Ravensun mates now?"

I winced. "No, not officially."

She softened her gaze. "You don't have to hold back for me, you know." She purred, though I could still see a shadow in her gaze. "You're a good sister, but some things we have to do alone."

"Thank you, Mapleshade." I felt relieved. As much as I loved Ravensun I would not have felt comfortable being around Mapleshade if she was still hurting. "I promise we won't do anything lovey-dovey in front of you."

"Are you kidding?" An old light shone in her eyes and she became the Mapleshade I knew and loved. "Be as sappy as you want around me. Heck, if you want you can make kits around me and I won't-"

"Mapleshade!" I gasped, laughing. "That's so wrong!"

"But you get the point." She stood up and squinted passed me. "I think we're leaving. Come on!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Another chapter! My favorite, actually!**

Chapter Ten

I had barely finished with my morning wash when a WindClan warrior burst into our camp.

"RiverClan!" she gasped, her flanks heaving. "And ShadowClan! They're attacking our camp!"

"What?!" Breezestar meowed, coming out of his den with Yellowtail right behind him. "Why ShadowClan?"

"I didn't get to ask," the warrior snarled, and collapsed.

Mapleshade appeared next to me. "What's going on?" she whispered. Her eyes were still dull from being rejected last night, and I had made sure that I kept away from Ravensun just in case she was watching. It had pained me to leave so many things left unsaid, but my sister had to come first.

"A WindClan warrior came here because ShadowClan and RiverClan are attacking her camp," I answered. "Do you know who she is?"

Mapleshade nodded. "Lillypaw. But why would WindClan send an apprentice?"

Breezestar had been speaking to the struggling cat, and now turned away to leap onto the Highrock.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" he roared, not needing to summon us as we were already there. "ShadowClan and RiverClan have made a deadly alliance with each other, and according to whispers this young cat had heard they may be planning on turning against us next."

My eyes widened and cats yowled in outrage. Breezestar decided to allow them to die down before he went on.

"I propose that we fight the cowards with WindClan now, rather than face them alone. Who is with me?"

Mapleshade and I added our yowls to the battle cry. Yellowtail began brushing through us, picking out battle patrols.

"Frostfang, I want you, Sparrowflight, Badgerface, Tallstem, Ravensun, and Bramblestorm to be in Patrol One.

"Onejump, you will lead Goldenpool, Mapleshade, Goosethorn, Waterpaw, Featherpelt, and Blueberry on Patrol Two.

"Jayfledge, you will lead Whitedrop, Newtspeckle, Treestem, Berrybramble, and Froghop in Patrol Three."

"But she's a new warrior!" protested Berrybramble, a dark she-cat whose muzzle was just beginning to gray.

"Yes, but she's a better leader than you would think!" Froghop mewed, coming to stand beside me. He dipped his head. "I remember when she was first apprenticed. I had never felt more respect for a kit in my life!"

I purred, grateful for his support, but Berrybramble just hissed.

Yellowtail picked out the rest of her patrols, and we waited for Breezestar to give us the signal to move.

"Are we all ready?" he meowed when all of us were looking at him. "Then let's go."

I felt a rush of power spread through me as I led my patrol out. It was like a was suddenly an apprentice again; trusting pawsteps sank into the snow where I had put my own just moments before.

A flash of gold caught my eye and a turned to see Ravensun running a few fox-lengths away from me. While keeping most of my concentration on running, I gave him a supporting nod. He blinked in reply, and stared straight ahead.

Crossing the border into WindClan territory was uncomfortable for me. We immediately slowed and began creeping through the long grass. Breezestar let Lillypaw lead.

Soon enough, we could hear battle calls and screeches. They must be attacking the WindClan camp! I tensed, my well-toned muscles rippling beneath my pelt. This had to be against the warrior code!

"Jayfledge, Squirrelpelt, and Glossygaze," Yellowtail ordered in a whisper, "you will attack first, on my signal. Everyone else: with me."

I led my patrol to another side of the camp, using my tail to signal my warriors to spread out. Thankfully they did this without argument, although I could have sworn that Brambleberry had rolled her eyes.

I tensed. I would be the first cat in my patrol to arrive into battle. I would not be able to choose my opponents or have any of the advantages the other members had. My only hope was to not get picked on by a more experienced warrior.

Yellowtail's cry split the now-darkening sky, and as if part of her signal lightening flashed and thunder rolled. I added my screech to the battle cry and leaped from my hiding place, my patrol hot on my heels.

I slammed into one body, and the stench of fish filled my nose. RiverClan! I snarled and began clawing, sending the warrior screaming into the bushes, running faster than any rabbit I had ever seen.

One warrior down. Another loomed in front of me, this one all-too familiar.

"Lightstar!" I snarled

"Hello, little kit," she sneered. "Mommy's not here to back you up anymore, is she?"

I screamed with rage. Launching myself with her, I began clawing her as ferociously as I could.

"You. Lying. Piece. Of. Fox-dung!" I snarled with every swipe. Distantly, I heard Yellowtail's second call, and more warriors dashed into the camp. But all I could see was the bloodying cat before me, who could barely lift her paws to defend herself.

"Jayfledge!" It was Mapleshade. "She's had enough!"

I exhaled, and my vision cleared. I choked in horror at what I had done- Lightstar was barely breathing.

"Is she dead?" I whispered. Mapleshade just drew me away from her.

"Maybe," she whispered. But then I heard a frail wail come from behind us.

"ShadowClan! Retreat!"

I trembled with relief and Mapleshade stared at me, impressed.

"You defeated an entire Clan in just moments," she mewed. I was about to reply when a dark gray tom loomed behind her, and I snarled. Mapleshade took the hint. "I'll get this one!" she cried as she chased him.

A body fell against me, and I turned, snarling, ready to fight whomever it was.

"It's just me!" Ravensun cried, and I sheathed my claws. "Jayfledge, we need to talk."

"What?" A cat appeared behind him and I yelled, "Boost!" He crouched and I landed on his back, using the momentum he made coming up to carry me through the air and land on the RiverClan enemy.

As my claws began tearing through fur, Ravensun continued, "It's about time we talk about us."

"Are you serious?!" I meowed, giving one last blow to my opponent before turning and helping Ravensun with his. Together we fended her off and received some recovery time.

"Look, Jayfledge, I love you and I want to be with you. As mates."

"Now isn't really the best time for that!" A young RoverClan apprentice stalked towards us, but one show of my teeth sent him scampering off.

"Why are you avoiding this?" Ravensun meowed, coming closer to me. "Is it because of Mapleshade?"

"Only a little bit- behind you!" Recovery time was over; two RiverClan warriors raced towards us, claws extended. Ravensun and I met them halfway, each blow landing just the same as the other.

We had them beat in no time, although one paused and turned, considering if he should try again. I was just about to unsheathe my claws when I heard Graystar yowl, "RiverClan! Retreat!"

I sneered at the cat before me, and he hissed before backing away to his retreating Clan. I was about to congratulate Ravensun on a fight well fought when I caught sight of the intensity of his gaze.

"Jayfledge, I love you," he meowed, a stream of fleeing cats surrounding as like a stream going around two rocks. "Will you be my mate?"

I felt like I could be lost in those eyes forever.

Feeling too emotion to respond, I put my head under his chin and purred. My eyes closed as his heavy pure vibrated my whole body, and when I opened them again I saw Mapleshade sitting on the ledge of a high rock, watching us.

My eyes widened, but she did not look angry. Moments later, a tom- the tom I had seen her chase off in the beginning of the battle- appeared from behind her. They shared a long look, and he jumped down and joined his retreating Clanmates.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus in the warmth of Ravensun's body, but a bad feeling had lodged itself into my mind.

A very, very bad feeling.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Back with another chapter. This one isn't as important as the others, but we sort of need this scene. Hope you enjoy!**

**Also, I've been reading the reviews I've received recently, and I would like to say that yes, I do know that Jayfledge is a bit of a Mary Sue. But think of the position she's in! She's the Clan leader's favorite daughter and as such she seems to do no wrong. But just wait a little while longer, and all of that will disappear…**

Chapter Eleven

ThunderClan limped back to our territory, battered but victorious. Harestar and a company of WindClan warrior accompanied us. At first I felt as if they were making sure we crossed the border, but all of their eyes were shining.

"I can't thank all of you enough," she purred.

"It's a good thing Lillypaw came to us when she did," Breezestar replied. "Otherwise you might not have made it through."

"Yes." Harestar looked at the light-brown she-cat beside her fondly. "When we get back, Lillypaw, we'll hold your warrior ceremony."

"Really?" Lillypaw's eyes shone and her pelt fluffed up. "Thank you, Harestar!"

I purred at the young cat's excitement. I remembered the excitement I had felt when my father announced that I was to receive my warrior name. It had wiped away all sadness from my mother's death, and even though there was still a void where she once was I knew she was proud of me.

Whiskers brushed my cheek and I turned to see Ravensun next to me, his lithe body spiky with the wet snow. I pressed closer to him as we walked, hoping that my thick pelt was warm enough to warm him, too. He purred gratefully and licked my ear. I noticed Whitedrop looking at us from the corner of my eye and winked. Her eyes widened and her tail swished, giving out a loud purr.

She approved. But would Breezestar? He was too far ahead to see me with my new mate. And worse, what would Mapleshade think? I knew she had said she approved, but was that just talk? Had I just betrayed my sister?

Harestar stopped at the border, her tail waving in farewell.

"Good-bye!" she called. "WindClan is in your debt! May StarClan warm your nests tonight!"

We all purred in reply, and as I passed I gave Lillypaw a nod and a small word of congratulations. Her eyes widened, and I saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. She turned her head to look at Breezestar, then back at me. I remembered how Kestrelcall had confused me with Breezestar before, and understood her confusion.

"I think I look too much like my father," I muttered to Ravensun after we left her.

"You're not that much alike," he meowed. "Although when I first met you, I had to check whether you were a male or a female before I started talk to you normally."

I squealed and scooped snow at him. He laughed before I scooped another mound of snow at him, this time landing in his mouth.

Whitedrop jumped beside us. "You have to tell me _everything_ later!" she hissed at me before meowing, "Can't get enough snow, Ravensun?"

He tensed slightly. In a way, he was still that unsociable apprentice Froghop had stepped on accidentally as an apprentice.

"Perhaps," he murmured, looking away from us.

"Hey, Ravensun," she meowed, hurt. "You have to get used to Jayfledge's best friend if you're going to be her mate!"

She said that too loud. Breezestar glanced sharply back at us, and murmured to Yellowtail, "You lead the Clan back. I need to check on something."

Yellowtail flashed me and Ravensun a sympathetic look before leading the Clan away from us. Whitedrop slunk away as well, even after I gave a sharp cry of protest. I looked around, hoping that maybe Mapleshade would back me up, but no- there she was, slinking away with her head hanging. I felt my heart lurch. She _was_ mad.

"So, Ravensun," my father growled, bringing my attention to the present, "you want to be mates with my daughter, eh?"

I felt Ravensun flinch beside me, and I could faintly smell fear-scent coming off of his pelt. I gritted my teeth. My father may think he could get away with scaring cats because he was the leader and could exile them in an instant, but I was his daughter.

"He doesn't just want, father," I meowed, putting myself between the two toms, "he _is_."

Breezestar showed his teeth, and I showed mine. Then I sighed.

"Breezestar," I meowed, "I love him, and he loves me. You were in love once- why shouldn't I have that chance?"

He bristled. "Because you are my daughter."

"Morningshade was someone's daughter!" I argued. "Yet she was your mate." I turned to Ravensun, who, I could see from his eyes, was trying to gain the confidence to stand up for us but, judging from his bristling pelt, he was not succeeding. "You can't tell my heart what to do."

Breezestar forced himself to relax. "Very well," he meowed stiffly. He turned and headed back to camp. Ravensun's pelt brushed mine, and he brushed my ear with his muzzle.

"You know that's the first time I've heard you say you love me?" he breathed. I shivered. "It's kind of nice, you know."

I twined my tail with his, purring.

"Let's go," I mewed, and sprinted away, laughing when he ran passed me.

xxx

In camp, cats were celebrating our victory with a feast. I started to head towards Mapleshade as I usually did, but then froze. My head whipped back and forth from my mate to my sister, my heart in two.

"I think you'd better eat with your sister," he meowed, understanding in his eyes. "You might have to talk to her."

I purred my thank you and headed over to her, picking up a thrush as I went.

"Hi Mapleshade!" I mewed after I dropped my prey beside her. She looked up at me and purred.

"So it's official?" she whispered when I had settled beside her. "You and him, I mean." She nodded to Ravensun, browsing the fresh-kill pile.

"About that..," I began, but she shushed me.

"I told you, I totally support you if you want to become mates with him," she meowed. "You're my sister. You're everything to me."

I pressed my muzzle against hers. "Thank you, Mapleshade."

A rabbit dropped beside us, and Whitedrop brushed my fur. "It's time you start to talk, Jayfledge," she meowed. "We need to know _everything_!"

Comfortable with discussing Ravensun around Mapleshade now, I told them my story. Both were purring by the time I finished.

"Well, you know what happens next," Whitedrop teased.

"What?" I meowed, confused.

She leaned close and sang, "First comes love, then comes matehood, then comes kittens in the nursery bracken!"

I squealed, backing away, my skin burning. Whitedrop and Mapleshade laughed.

"We just became mates!" I hissed. "I won't be moving to the nursery for a long time."

"Sure," Mapleshade mewed, her eyes twinkling. "That's what they all say!"

"Really!" I insisted.

"I give you a moon! By the way," Whitedrop lowered her voice, "your father is sharing prey with Ravensun."

I whipped around. She was right; my father was speaking in a low voice to my mate over a half-eaten chunk of rabbit. At least Ravensun did not look comfortable.

"He'll be fine," I meowed. "Breezestar is the only other cat besides me he opens up to. Besides, he was Breezestar's apprentice. My father won't go _too _harshly on him."

Whitedrop nodded. "I wish I could have been with you in the battle," she meowed, going back to her favorite topic. "But then again, I got a couple of good hits in!"

"Speaking of the battle," I meowed, turning to Mapleshade, "where did _you_ run off to?"

"Huh?" A guarded expression flickered across her amber eyes. "I chased off a RiverClan warrior all by myself. You saw me."

"Yeah, but then I saw the same warrior walking next to you at the end." I narrowed my eyes. "Did he lead you into a trap? Are you hurt?" Panic bubbled up inside of me. "Have you seen Briarpelt yet?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped. "Stop worrying about me all the time, will you? I already had one mother, and I don't need another!"

She stalked away towards the warriors' den, her tail flicking back and forth angrily. I stared after her.

"What's in her pelt?" Whitedrop wondered. I said nothing.

I had a feeling it had something to do with that RiverClan tom.


	12. Chapter 12

**Another chapter!**

Chapter Twelve

"Are they here yet?" Whitedrop called from outside the nursery. Her mew was excited, and I could almost picture my white-pelted friend, belly large with kits of her own.

"Of course not!" I snapped, my mood tampered with labor. "If they were, Briarpelt would have told you! Stop asking!"

It had been four moons since the battle with RiverClan and ShadowClan. As Whitedrop predicted, I became pregnant with Ravensun's kits a moon after we became mates.

Of course, she became pregnant a _week_ after she became mates with Froghop. I was victorious with that, at least.

I yowled again as a contraction rippled through my skin. _Come quicker!_ I begged my unborn kits. I had been kitting since I woke up, and I knew Ravensun was worried about me. His shadow fell across the entrance of the nursery as he paced by, muttering under his breath. Briarpelt had kicked him out at sunhigh, when he would not stop asking mouse-brain questions.

"The first one's coming!" Briarpelt meowed encouragingly. I gritted my teeth. He had been telling me that for hours.

His new apprentice, Larksong and Frostfang's daughter Dewpaw, leaned forward. "Can we see it?"

"Only its forehead," Briarpelt mewed. "One more push, Jayfledge, and it'll be out."

Grunting, I strained. My firstborn slithered into the world.

"There's one!" Briarpelt announced. Ravensun's shadow halted. "A tom!"

I purred as Dewpaw nestled the tiny kit in the curve of my belly. He was blue-gray like his mother. Then another wave of pain hit and a fell back into my nest, gasping.

"It'll be faster now," Briarpelt promised. "Here's another now!"

I screeched as a she-kit came, the little thing yowling as soon as the birthing sac was removed. Then a pale tom, with fur as light as Fledgekit's was. Last came another daughter, and I relaxed as my kits began feeding.

My eyelids had drooped and I was half-asleep when I felt Ravensun's tongue caress my temple.

"They're beautiful," he whispered. "Just like their mother."

Too tired to answer, I weakly purred and fell asleep against his paws.

xxx

I awoke the next morning feeling well-rested and proud. Ravensun had fallen asleep next to me, his head resting against my still-swollen belly, and Whitedrop was nearby, snoring lightly.

My kits were sleeping, the golden she-kit and the light-colored tom against my side, and the other two- a light golden she-kit and a fluffy blue-gray tom- lay on top of each other nearby.

My kits. My beautiful kits.

The noise of the waking camp soon reached my ears, and a familiar shape hovered in the entrance of the nursery.

"Mapleshade," I called softly, waking Ravensun, "come in and meet your nieces and nephews!"

She stepped daintily in, her pelt smelling of the forest and fresh-kill. Her eyes glowed with warmth as she saw my sleeping babies.

"They're so cute!" she purred. Her loud voice woke Whitedrop, and she yawned.

"Is it morning already?" she murmured, blinking her brown eyes. Her sleepy gaze fell on my litter, and purred.

"Is it time to name them?" she mewed. Ravensun purred and Mapleshade settled down next to my nest to peer in.

"The light one looks a little like Fledgekit," she realized, grief flashing across her eyes. I nodded.

"He will be Fledgekit," I announced.

Ravensun sniffed at the gray tom, the only one to carry on my pelt color. "He looks like you in the shade," he whispered.

I looked at Mapleshade when I named him. "Shadekit." Mapleshade purred.

My mate turned to the light-golden she-kit. "She looks like the sun. Sunkit."

I purred, and turned to the last kit, the dark golden she-kit. She purred as I licked her head, and I heard Ravensun rumble with affection. "Sweetkit," he decided. I nodded.

"Fledgekit, Shadekit, Sunkit, and Sweetkit," I murmured. "Welcome to ThunderClan, my precious ones."

As if in answer, they each woke up and crawled to my belly to feed. I purred, feeling as if I had never felt so much love in my life.

"May I see my grandchildren?" We all looked up as Breezestar crawled in, pride in every hair of his pelt. His eyes shown as he looked over his grandchildren. He had been so happy when I told him my news, long over his resentment of me taking on a mate. His legacy would continue through me, and our blood would flow through yet another generation.

"Their names are Fledgekit, Shadekit, Sunkit, and Sweetkit," Ravensun told him as our leader sniffed at each of them. Breezestar rumbled softly.

"I still remember when you were this young, Jayfledge," he meowed warmly. "I was there for your birth and the day later, and after that RiverClan began a war with us and I wasn't able to watch you grow up for a while."

"I remember," I meowed. "Mother was mad, and you didn't even know how old we were!"

I heard the bracken rustle as Mapleshade slid out of the den. Breezestar had not mentioned her in his reminiscing, and I had mentioned our mother. She did not feel welcomed in this sort of conversation, I knew.

"Before you know it, they'll be up and crawling about!" Breezestar purred. "I'll have to start thinking of warrior names!"

"Not yet!" I protested. "They're barely a day old!"

"They'll be warriors before you know it! You grew up way too fast for me. Now here you are, starting a family of your own!"

I purred, and Ravensun pressed his cheek against mine. Looking down at my kits, I thought, _Eat well, my kits. You are the future of the greatest Clan the forest has ever seen!_


	13. Chapter 13

**Let's skip a couple of moons, shall we? We're getting close to what everyone has been waiting for!**

Chapter Thirteen

"Sweetpaw! Fledgepaw! Shadepaw! Sunpaw!"

I cheered along with my Clanmates, my heart lightening as I watched my kits stand with their mentors. They would be in safe paws, with Whitedrop, Mumblefoot, Larksong, and Onejump looking over their training. Whitedrop winked at me, Sweetpaw bursting with energy by her side. We both knew what was coming next.

"Redkit and Smallkit," Breezestar called, beckoning Whitedrop and Froghop's two kits forward. "From now on, until you have earned your warrior names, you will be known as Redpaw and Smallpaw."

"Redpaw! Smallpaw! Redpaw! Smallpaw!" the Clan cheered,

"Jayfledge," Breezestar meowed, and I came forward. "You will mentor Smallpaw."

The pale apprentice with small ears scampered up to me, his eyes alight with excitement. Breezestar went on, "I trust that you will pass on your judgment and bravery to your apprentice."

"Of course," I promised, and touched noses with Smallpaw. He followed me with a skip in his step to where my kits were, and sat, fidgeting, as Breezestar gave a mentor to his sister.

"Ravensun," Breezestar announced, "you will mentor Redpaw."

My father's choice surprised me. Ravensun had never expressed any desire to mentor an apprentice, and what about Mapleshade? I risked a glance in her direction and was startled by the amount of betrayal that shone in her eyes.

"I expect you will pass on your strength and unusual skills onto you apprentice," Breezestar meowed. Ravensun nodded; he did not like to speak in front of the Clan. He touched noses with his new apprentice, who drew back for a moment, probably wary of his presence. He was not the most beautiful cat to look upon, but his unkempt appearance was one of the things I loved about him. He allowed him to touch noses with him after a moment, and he led him over to me.

The Clan cheered for all of the apprentices one last time, and came forward to congratulate the them.

My kits ran over to me and Ravensun.

"We're apprentices now!" Sunpaw yowled, still as loud as she had been when she came into the world. She began chasing her tail with excitement.

Sweetpaw wove her way around my legs and then her father's, purring. "Congratulations on getting your first apprentices," she mewed softly. We nuzzled her between us, our pride expressed in the way of love.

"Are we going into the forest now?" Shadepaw asked his mentor, Mumblefoot. He nodded.

"We'll all go," he meowed. The apprentices cheered, and I felt a rush of excitement. I would show my kits around the forest!

xxx

My kits trudged sleepily back to camp after a long day of exploring the territory. I long to pick one of them up and carry it back to the camp, but I knew that was no longer my duty anymore. They were responsible individuals now. The thought saddened me, but it was heartening to know that my kits were becoming the cats I had always dreamed they would be.

The older apprentices, Wishpaw and Strongpaw, greeted the new apprentices and led them to their new den.

"I'll meet you by the fresh-kill pile," I told Ravensun. "I need to talk to Mapleshade."

"Of course," he mewed, licking my cheek. "I'll find you a thrush."

I purred and skipped to the warriors' den. I could see my sister's bright ginger pelt peeking between the branches, and wondered if she had been in there all day.

"Mapleshade!" I mewed as I stepped in. She looked up. I saw a flash of hostility before it was replaced by friendliness.

"Jayfledge!" she greeted me. "Congrats on your first apprentice!"

I purred, curling up in the nest next to hers. It was mine, but Ravensun had used it while I was in the nursery. To fall asleep with my scent in his nose, he said. "It'll be your turn next!"

Mapleshade shook her head. "Breezestar would never allow that. He still blames me for Fledgekit's death."

"No he doesn't!" I meowed, but I knew she was right. In his mind, I was Breezestar's only daughter. "Besides, you deserve an apprentice. You've trained so hard…"

"I only wish Squirrelpelt had taken on another apprentice before he retired to the elder's den," she laughed. "I was his only one."

Her eyes were guarded now, but as her sister I knew she was thinking that Breezestar knew how cruel Squirrelpelt was, and had made sure his least favorite kit had gotten him. I nuzzled her sympathetically.

"I wish I could ease your pain," I murmured. She leaned away from me, a secretive light in her eyes.

"If I told you something I'm dying to tell _someone_, would you promise to keep it a secret?"

I nodded, wondering what in the forest could be so important to her.

"Do you remember that RiverClan tom I chased off? In the battle where you became mates with Ravensun, and ThunderClan began its alliance with WindClan?" Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I've been seeing him all these moons." My eyes widened, but she was serious as she added, "I _love_ him, Jayfledge! Seeing him makes me believe that there is some cat out there who loves me!"

"_I_ love you!" I protested in a whisper. "Mapleshade, this is everything against the warrior code! What do you think you're _doing_?!"

"Stonestream says that the part of the warrior code that discusses the whole mate issue was made up because kits were born. But we're not going to _have_ any kits! I've been eating these herbs that stop any development and-"

"You've been killing kits?" I could not believe this. Mapleshade rolled her eyes.

"No- I've been destroying any chance I had _before_ we do anything. Aren't you happy for me? I found a mate!" Her eyes were round, huge.

Stomach twisting, I leaned forward. "I am," I mewed, "but I wish that you had found a mate inside the Clan."

I remembered Kestrelcall's exile and shuddered.

"Never, _ever_ have kits with him," I whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Smallpaw and I were just returning to camp when I heard screeches coming from camp. I dropped my prey and signaled Smallpaw to do the same.

"What's going on, Jayfledge?" he whispered. I strained my ears forward, and I heard a cat scream.

"The camp is being attacked!" I yowled. I leaped forward, my prey forgotten. Smallpaw's breath was hot on my heels as he followed.

"Do you think I'm ready for a fight?" he panted.

"You've been training for two moons," I answered, my breath coming out even. "We've been battle training since day three. You're ready."

That gave him a burst of energy, and his pawsteps closed in beside me.

We skidded down the ravine and leaped into action. My nose told me that it was RiverClan. _Those fish-brains!_

Fear flashed through me. _Where are my kits?_ I could see Shadepaw fighting beside Wishpaw, and Redpaw was dragging a cat off of Sweetpaw. They were safe with their denmates.

A flash of ginger caught my eye and I saw a dark gray RiverClan tom lead Mapleshade away from the battle. I curled my lip. Even though I was glad to see my sister safe, she should be fighting _with her Clan_.

A body slammed into me, and I turned to fight it, smelling RiverClan. I sent him squealing into the bushes before he had time to figure out whom he was fighting. Soft fur brushed my side, and I found myself fighting side-by-side with Fledgepaw.

"Graystar!" Breezestar roared from the top of the Highrock. "Why are you attacking us?"

"ThunderClan thinks it can walk into whatever territory it wants!" Cats parted and revealed the RiverClan leader. "Don't think we can't smell your cats' scents on our side of the border!"

"What are you talking about?" Breezestar's eyes flashed. "No cat has crossed your border! This attack is meaningless!"

My heart dropped. _Mapleshade_ had. This was all because of her. I dug my claws into the ground. My sister was careless.

"So you say, yet we passed by the scent on the way here."

"Perhaps it blew over the territory; we've had a strong wind blowing across the territories since leaf-fall started." Breezestar narrowed his eyes and roared, "Leave our camp! _Now!_"

ThunderClan growled, a low sound that was true to our name. RiverClan closed in around their leader, and Graystar snarled.

"This isn't over, Breezestar," he growled before leading his Clan away.

My body relaxed as the last of them ran out of camp. I licked Fledgepaw's head.

"You fight well," I purred. "You have made ThunderClan proud." My son's eyes shone as he stammered a thank-you.

I looked around, trying to find the rest of my family. Shadepaw and Sweetpaw were still by the apprentices' den, eyes wide but okay. I could still not see Sunpaw, and my heart leapt. _Where was she?! Please, StarClan, let her be all right._

As if to answer my prayer, Ravensun appeared with Sunpaw by his side. She was bleeding from a cut on the head, but her eyes were wide with excitement.

"Jayfledge!" she cried, and ran to me. "You should have seen me! I sent a RiverClan apprentice screaming back to his nursery nest!"

I purred. "I'm proud of you." Shadepaw and Sweetpaw were approaching, and I added, "I'm proud of _all_ of you!"

Ravensun checked my body for injuries before sighing with relief. "You're all okay. Thank StarClan."

"Yellowtail!"

My family and I turned our heads at the cry. Larksong stood over a mound of pale tabby fur, her eyes wide with shock.

"Let me see her!" Briarpelt yowled, Dewdrop at his side. He looked her over and then sighed. "There isn't anything I can do for her. She's already on her way to StarClan."

My heart leaped, and I scrambled to the Clan's deputy side. Yellowtail dead? My brave, funny mentor whom I could go to for anything?

"It's against the warrior code to kill," I whispered.

"Accidents happen," Briarpelt murmured. "She was standing when RiverClan left. She must have exhausted herself."

Yellowtail's kits, Palefur and Rumblebelly, approached their mother cautiously.

"You said you would stay with us until my kits were born," Palefur whispered tearfully, and buried her nose into her mother's bloody pelt. Rumblebelly just stared at the ground.

Yellowtail gave a gasping sound, and then her flanks stilled. My heart cried out and Palefur yowled into the sky. My father's scent wreathed over me and I leaned against his flank, thankful for his comfort.

"She was a good and loyal deputy," he murmured. "She would have made an excellent leader after me."

I looked at him. His eyes were tired and exhausted. How many lives did he have left? I knew I could not ask him; that was between him, the medicine cats, and whomever he chose as deputy next.

A soft pelt brushed mine and Whitedrop was beside me as well, her eyes filled with sympathy. She said nothing as she and Ravensun led me to the medicine cat's den to see my wounds seen to, but I felt nothing as Dewdrop rubbed stinging juice into my cuts.

Yellowtail had been a second mother to me after Morningshade died. My heart wrenched, and after Dewdrop finished I padded back to Yellowtail's body to sit vigil.

The moon was rising. Soon it would be moonhigh, and another cat would take her place. A buried my nose into Yellowtail's fur. I felt bad for whoever that would be. He would have a tough place to fill.

xxx

"Let all those old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

Breezestar's voice was dull as he called us together. Yellowtail had not been the only death we had; the elder Brokentooth and the warrior Berrybramble had been killed. I was stunned when I heard the news. RiverClan cats were even worse than ShadowClan.

We gathered silently. My kits huddled close to me and Ravensun, and I enjoyed their warmth. Even though they were warrior apprentices, they still needed their mother.

Breezestar looked around us and meowed, "This deputyship is important. The cat I choose now will become your next leader."

I was surprised, and saddened. My father was old. He was on one of his last lives.

"I say these words before the body of Yellowtail so she may hear and approve my choice."

He closed his eyes.

"Jayfledge will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

**Tell me you did not see that coming. TELL ME YOU DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.**

**Just kidding- it's been obvious since the get-go what would happen to both Jayfledge and Mapleshade.**

**Or is it…**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

My mouth gaped open as cats around me pressed forward.

"Jayfledge!" they called, just as they had done when I became a warrior. "Jayfledge!"

Breezestar jumped down from the Highrock and pressed his muzzle against mine. "I told you that you would be leader after me, did I not?"

"But I'm not leader material!" I protested.

"Are you kidding?" Froghop nudged me, almost pushing me off my feet. "Do you remember how quickly you established leadership as a first day apprentice?"

"But-"

"My mother's going to be deputy!" Sweetpaw yowled, and cats purred. Smallpaw puffed his chest proudly to a cluster of kits.

"I'm the deputy's apprentice," he boasted.

My skin burned. Everyone was so excited for me, but I was scared out of my mind. I was barely a warrior! Surely there was some warrior who could do better than me!

Some cats looked at me expectantly, and I forced myself to stand up and nod.

"It will be an honor to be your deputy, and follow your footsteps when you are gone." My stomach flipped at the thought of my father dying, and I swallowed a growing lump in my throat. "I accept."

Shadepaw gave a whoop of excitement and cats gathered closer to wish me even more congratulations. Loyalty was shining in each of the warriors' eyes, and I took a shaky breath. With their support, I could do this.

After a moment, Whitedrop herded cats away. "Look at her, smothered by all of this," she scolded. "Give the deputy some space, will you?"

Cats listened to her, some going to the fresh-kill pile to eat and some remaining in the clearing for the remaining hours they could for Yellowtail, Brokentooth, and Berrybramble. I turned to join him, but froze when I saw a cat returning to the camp. My lip curled. _Mapleshade_.

She was panting as she skidded to a halt in the middle of the clearing, her eyes in a faraway place. Probably still with that RiverClan tom.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the three bodies and looked around.

"What happened?" she meowed.

"You're back!" Whitedrop paused on her way to the fresh-kill pile. "Where were you?"

"I was being chased by a RiverClan warrior!" she exclaimed. Cats began to gather around her to hear her story, and my heart twisted at her lie. "I led him into a patch of brambles, and while he was busy trying to find the right place to put his paws I attacked!"

The cats around her purred. "Typical RiverClan fish-warriors," a warrior sniffed, giving the ginger warrior an approving nod. "They don't know how to walk, only swim."

"You've been gone for some time, though," Sunpaw mewed. It lightened me to know she was repeating the question I was begging someone to ask her. "Are you all right?"

"I didn't know the battle was finished," Mapleshade replied, giving her niece a fond lick on the head. My claws ached to be sheathed- I did not want her anywhere near my daughter, near my _Clan_. "I thought RiverClan warriors were still on the our territory. Plus, I wanted to check out this 'scent' they were so keen to find."

"And did you find it?" Whitedrop asked.

"Not at all."

_Lies._ Who was this cat, and what had she done to my sister?

Mapleshade's eyes fell on the bodies, and her eyes widened as she recognized Yellowtail. "Yellowtail is gone?" she mewed. "Who's deputy now?"

Sweetpaw purred. "Jayfledge!"

Mapleshade looked towards me and purred, but I had already turned away to join the vigil.

That cat was not my sister. Not if she was going to break the code and allow other cats to die.

**Very short chapter this time, and I'm sorry. The chapters to get longer from here on out, and the moment some of you have been waiting for (the moment things don't exactly go right for our Jay friend) is coming up!**

**What will happen to her? Let's just say her base character is based off of one of her descendants with a similar-colored pelt, one who also got her deputyship/leadership before she should have…**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thus starts Jayfeldge's demise… You'll see!**

Chapter Sixteen

"Badgerface, I want you, Sunpaw, Onejump, Mapleshade, and Froghop to patrol the ShadowClan border," I ordered a few sunrises after I had become deputy. I made sure I put Mapleshade on patrols as far away from the RiverClan border as possible. She knew what I was doing and gave me a dirty look as she passed, but I was doing this for her benefit.

That was the last patrol. I stood up and stretched, feeling accomplished. The thrill of watching older cats listen to my orders never ceased to lessen, although the idea of being leader still daunted me.

A familiar scent washed over me and I purred, turning. "Hi Ravensun."

"Hi deputy," he meowed, his eyes twinkling. "Think you can break off with your duties to go on a hunt with me? Our apprentices are away with Breezestar so he can check their training, and I haven't been alone with you since our kits were born."

"Of course!" My tail raised in excitement. "Where were you thinking of going?"

"I-" He suddenly broke off, coughing. My tail slammed to the ground and a stepped hesitantly closer to him.

"Ravensun?" I meowed. "Are you okay?"

It was a few more coughs before my mate could answer me. "I'm fine- it's hairball season, after all."

Ravensun's pelt was thin and firm. He never had problems with hairballs before. I sniffed him warily, but I was not a trained medicine cat. I could not smell any bit of sickness. I forced myself to make this fact, and my fur relaxed.

"Perhaps you should rest," I ventured, "instead of hunting?"

"No! No," he meowed. "Let's hunt. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

xxx

But by the time we returned to camp, he was coughing more than ever. His wheezes scared the prey away, and I finally put my foot down and ordered him back to camp to be checked by Briarpelt.

I had barely stepped into the medicine cat's den before, and my nose wrinkled at the sharp smells. How Briarpelt and Dewdrop could stand to live in the scents I had no idea.

"Briarpelt?" I called. A pelt moved in the darkness, but as my eyes focused I realized that it was Dewdrop, not Briarpelt.

"Briarpelt's sick," Dewdrop whispered when she neared us. "He's been coughing all night."

My blood chilled. "Ravensun's coughing too," I meowed, beckoning my mate closer with a flick of my tail. Dewdrop nodded; she must have heard him return to camp.

"Let me see him for a while," she mewed. "I'll send for you if I can't let him go."

I nodded, my tail trembling. "I hope it doesn't come to that," I meowed, and left the den.

I decided to visit my father. I had not seen him since the night before, and with a Gathering tonight I should ask to figure out which warriors were coming.

The lichen whispered as I poked my head in. "Breezestar?"

A cough answered me.

_Not my father too!_ I forced myself to stay calm as I came further into the den. His eyes were bright and healthy, I noticed with relief. Perhaps _he_ had a hairball. His fur was as long as mine.

"Jayfledge!" he meowed, purring. I tried to nuzzle him, but he backed away. "I think I'm coming down with a cold. It's best if you stay away."

_A cold._ Perhaps that was what Ravensun had as well. Just a cold.

"What warriors are coming to the Gathering tonight?" I asked. He told me. I was happy to hear that all of my kits were coming, but when he named my mate and Briarpelt and stopped him.

"They're sick," I meowed. "I think it's best if they stayed in camp."

"Right," he said. "Then they will stay home, and… Mapleshade and Redpaw will take their places."

My heart sank. _Mapleshade_. But perhaps her RiverClan mate would not come to the Gathering after all.

"Jayfledge, there's something I've been meaning to do," Breezestar meowed. His suddenly serious tone concerned me, and I nodded to him to continue. "Mapleshade… I haven't been a good father to her, have I? I know I've been keeping you closer because I saw a leader in you the moment you came to your first Gathering, facing your fears and bringing your littermates home. And after Fledgekit died… I was so angry at her. My little Fledgling, the one who was too weak to wrap his tongue around my name and just called me 'Dada'." His eyes clouded over the memory, and his voice shook as he continued, "I know you said that it was not truly Mapleshade's fault that he died, that he went to the Gathering because he wanted to prove his strength, but she was with him, Jayfledge! She should have turned back to camp as soon as he began showing signs of problems, not hide in an old rabbit hole!

"But I'm an old cat, and I can feel my age. This season cycle may be my last, I fear, and I don't want to go to StarClan without making amends with my warriors, and that includes Mapleshade. But what should I do, Jayfledge? You love her more than anyone. What should I _do_?"

I hesitated. Did I really love Mapleshade anymore? The only real feeling I felt for her was distrust nowadays. But I felt a little bad. She was only going against the code for the love no one ever seemed to give her.

"Just tell her how you feel," I mewed. "You're her father, so of course you'll know what to do and what to say."

Breezestar purred. "Thank you, Jayfledge. You know, after I saw you and Ravensun and all of your kits together, I knew that I had messed up. Now, off you go, and get the warriors ready."

I mewed my good-bye and passed through the lichen. The sunset patrol I had sent out before going hunting with Ravensun was just returning, and I rushed over to tell them the news.

"You're all going to the Gathering," I announced.

"All of us?" Mapleshade's voice was skeptical; she knew I mistrusted her.

"All of you." I looked at her with wide, innocent eyes. "Breezestar wants to see you in his den, by the way."

Alarm shot across her eyes, and I quickly whispered in her ear, "Not _that_. He just wants to talk to you. Like a daughter."

"Since when did he have more than one daughter?" Mapleshade meowed, her eyes narrowing. She shouldered past me and headed towards our father's den, and I let her. I deserved her anger- I, the only cat in the Clan to ever love her, had deserted her.

xxx

Some of the cats were coughing as the leaders made their announcements. The medicine cats looked worried, and I tried not to think of what kind of sickness was being spread around.

"RiverClan attacked us for no apparent reason and killed three of our cats, one of which being my deputy Yellowtail," Breezestar snarled when it was his turn to speak. WindClan and even ShadowClan cats gasped and yowled in horror and outrage. "Do you have anything to say about this, Graystar?"

Graystar twitched his tail. "We attacked because we suspected an invasion. Is that really so wrong?"

"My warriors are _dead_ because of you! And one of my warriors checked and found no scent!"

"Are you sure that the warrior was not the very warrior who has been crossing our borders?" the RiverClan leader hissed.

"I trust this warrior with my _life_," Breezestar snarled, but I shot a glance to the crowd. I could not see her at first, but then I saw my sister tail peeking out behind one of the Great Oaks. With Stonestream, undoubtedly.

A slight shadow passed over the clearing, and I heard the WindClan medicine cat call out, "Stop! StarClan is angry with this fighting. Finish your report, Breezestar, and let Lightstar start hers."

Breezestar flattened his ears but did not argue. The full moon shone bright once again.

"ThunderClan has a new deputy," he announced. "Jayfledge."

Cats rippled with surprise as they realized I was his daughter. Typically Clan leaders chose cats outside their bloodline. What Breezestar was doing was something the ancient Clan leaders had done: choosing their offspring and creating royal bloodlines.

Yet soon cats were calling out my name. "Jayfledge! Jayfledge! Jayfledge!"

I raised my head. The other times the Clans had called my name, Ravensun had been by my side. For once I had to deal with the gaze of many cats alone.

Breezestar stepped back and Lightstar took his place. Immediately she started coughing, and to everyone's shock she fell right off of the Great Rock!

Her deputy rushed to her side and, after sniffing her, announced, "This Gathering is over!"

Breezestar landed by my side and together we raced to the ThunderClan cats. I was relieved to see Mapleshade had joined them. Graystar had planted a seed of doubt in Breezestar's mind, I could see from the quick glance he shot at her. She needed to be even more careful now if she wished to keep her mate a secret.

"Is Lightstar going to be okay?" I looked down to see Sweetpaw nudging me. "I mean, I know she's the leader of an enemy Clan, but no cat should have to deal with that."

Grief struck through me; her father may be suffering the same thing. I licked her ear.

"Her medicine cat will know what to do, Sweetie," I mewed, although I was not sure myself. "I know it's hard to see something like that, but keep in mind that even if Lightstar doesn't recover, she has nine lives."

"But what if it's her last?"

"Then StarClan will welcome her, and her deputy will take her place."

She was silent for the rest of the run back to camp, deep in thought. I was okay with that. My own thoughts were too preoccupied with the coughing illness that every Clan, it seemed, was infected with. I hoped the Lightstar was okay, but not for her sake. Ravensun and Briarpelt could be infected with the same sickness.

We crept into the sleeping camp, and I expected to see Ravensun waiting for me by the warriors den. He was not there, and when I checked the warriors' den his nest was empty, having never been used by the smell of it.

Cold dread filled my belly, and, as if in a dream, I padded slowly to the medicine cats' den. When I entered, Ravensun, Briarpelt, and now Froghop slept fitfully in three aligned nests.

"Jayfeldge!" I saw Dewdrop's yellow eyes peer from the darkness. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Ravensun," I meowed, my voice flat. "I went into the den and I thought he would be here…"

My voice trailed off as Dewdrop's eyes filled with sadness.

"Oh, Jayfledge," she mewed softly. "He has greencough."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

A moon later, a messenger was sent from WindClan to all of the Clans that Gatherings would not be held until further notice, until the sickness, which looked so much like greencough but was really a new strain of it, had passed.

ThunderClan was too weak to go against the idea, and quite frankly we agreed. Breezestar was sick, our medicine cat was sick, and the deputy's mate was hovering between life and death.

I hated thinking like that. That Ravensun was dying, and this was one battle we could not fight together. He told me once that he wanted to die in battle, or beside me in the elder's den. Not from sickness.

I sent out three warriors on a hunting patrol. No Clan was keeping up with border patrols, not for something like this. Apprentice training was put on hold, and I knew Wishpaw and Strongpaw were angry with that, being so close to the end of their training.

No, not Strongpaw. I had to remember. He was sick as well, curled up beside mother Tallstem. His father Goldenpool was nearby, forbidden from getting any closer to his family.

My kits, thank goodness, were all safe. Perhaps this invulnerability to the sickness came from my mother's side. Mapleshade seemed okay as well, although she was barely in camp enough anyway. With all of this confusion, she spent nights away from camp. And I let her, of course. For now. Until I could stop worrying about my own mate.

"Are you sure there is nothing I can do?" I meowed to Dewdrop for what was probably the millionth time.

"No, Jayfledge," she meowed. "It's up to StarClan now."

I hissed. Dead cats were _exactly_ what I was trying to keep away from my Clanmates. I stalked out of her den, looking over in sorrow at what was once the elders' den. The elders had long since caught the illness, and most had died. My kits and I had dug all of the graves. My paws were sore from just thinking about it.

Suddenly, I wanted to run. To get away from here, from the _sickness_. I raced out of camp, my heart breaking as I heard a familiar cough.

_I'll get you through this, Ravensun,_ I promised. _Just give me some time_.

Something led my paws to Fourtrees, where I had first seen the sickness take action. A familiar mew pierced my ear fur, and I ducked under a bush to watch.

"I would follow you anywhere," a dark gray tom was meowing. It was not his voice which made me pause, but the ginger-and-white she-cat's beside him.

"And I would as well," Mapleshade purred. She stopped and meowed softly, "Stonestream, I'm going to have kits!"

My ears flattened and it took all of my strength not to shriek _No Mapleshade! You'll have to be exiled!_

"Really?" Stonestream meowed, a bright light in his black eyes.

"Really," Mapleshade purred. "You're going to be a father!"

The tom closed his eyes. "I will give them my life."

_I will give them my life_.

That was it! I crept away from the bushes and took the WindClan route. I knew what to do now, to save Ravensun's life!

The small cliffs beyond WindClan territory held the answer, I knew. At the end of my apprentice training I had to go there, and before the disease hit I was supposed to take Smallpaw there as well.

Highstones, home of the Moonstone. I would have to speak to StarClan myself.

My paws flew across the moor and, without a second thought, I plunged into Mothermouth. My eyes could see nothing, but the floor was dimpled from where my ancestors had put their paws and the floor before me.

It was still daylight, and the Moonstone looked nothing more than a very shiny rock. But I still pressed my nose against it, as I heard Briarpelt tell Dewdrop to do before her first trip to Mothermouth. I gasped at how cold it was, and my vision grew black.

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer by the Moonstone. Yet here was a cave before me, dark and humid, a rumble telling me there was a river nearby.

"Hello?" I called. "StarClan?"

"It is not StarClan that you wish for child, if your desire is something so complex as your own," a voice behind me spoke.

I turned around and gasped.

**No, Jayfledge. Bad Jayfledge. I know what you want, and it's going to have dire consequences.**


	18. Chapter 18

**New chapter! My favorite, although I am a bit iffy about posting it. More below!**

Chapter Eighteen

The cat behind me had to be the ugliest cat I had ever seen. If he had been completely hairless perhaps I would not be as horrified, but patches of white fur held stubbornly to his frame. His bulging, robin eggshell eyes stared at me blindly, my startled face reflected perfectly in them.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"I am the spirit of the cats before the Clans, who left me in fear. I am the watcher of the past and the future, of the events not even StarClan itself can forsee."

I shivered. _A cat more powerful than StarClan?_ His breath warmed my fur, and I felt scared. "Why are you here, then?"

"What you seek, Jay's Fledgling, is something no warrior of StarClan can grant you."

My heart dropped. "But I'm Ravensun's last chance…"

"I said that _StarClan_ could not help you. But I never said I could not."

Hope rose in my chest, full of pleasure and pain. "You can take my life and give it to him? Please, spirit, help me!"

"No, Jay's Fledgling," he meowed, shaking his head. "I can take _a_ life from you. Breezestar's life is coming to an end- this sickness will destroy him. You will rise as Jaystar, just as you prophesized from the beginning. But you will not be the last of your bloodline to rule. From your kin will rise only the greatest of leaders, medicine cats, and heroes. What you are asking, your life for another, is just the start of the greatness of your kind.

"Jayfledge, what you ask will take away a life you have not yet received. When you return to Mothermouth in a few days' time, you will receive eight lives, not nine. You will save all of your Clan and warriors in other Clans that have not already perished in your absence, except one."

"Breezestar," I whispered.

"Yes, because without his death you would not get the chance to pay your debt. Are you sure you wish to accept this fate?"

I thought of Ravensun, his green eyes all I needed to know he loved me. And my father, who would give his life for his Clan and me.

"Yes," I meowed.

The spirit shifted, and I could see a large stick nestled at his feet. In one, smooth stroke, he cut a line into it with his claws. Already the stick bore many marks, some crossed, most clean. Looking closer I could see three shorter and three even shorter ones. _Apprentices and kits!_ What was this place that asked the arrival of so many?

"I have one more task for you to complete," the spirit. "You must find your way out of these tunnels."

I shivered as I looked around. There were many tunnel entrances around me. How could I find the right one?

As if reading my mind, the spirit meowed, "You will have a guide, if you can trust him."

"Do _you_ trust him?" I meowed.

"That is a question you must answer yourself." The cat seemed to fade away, until I was alone in the darkness.

Two scents folded over me, one of the river and darkness, and one… _ThunderClan?_

"Greetings," two sets of green eyes opened in the darkness, but it was one female voice that spoke. "Are you ready to go?"

"How can I be sure that I can trust you to show me the right way?" I meowed.

"I am Hollyleaf, your descendant. I died in a fierce battle to protect all of the Clans, and saved my Clanmates from dark, dead warriors and someone you hold dear."

"What?" I was startled, and confused. "How can you be here, if you haven't even been born?"

"This cave knows no time except after the ancestors of the Clans left it," a male voice spoke, soft yet strong. "We are everywhere in time, yet in one spot."

I trembled. "Hollyleaf, you have a warrior name, and I can only guess that your scent is the ThunderClan one. Tell me, how is my Clan, in whatever moon you last lived in?"

"ThunderClan is well, Jaystar. Elders tell stories of your final battle, and the life you lived after that. You are a hero as well as a leader."

"My _Clan_," I meowed, firmer. "Tell me about your ThunderClan, not my legacy."

"ThunderClan is well, and has just hailed yet another great leader, mate of your kin. We are still the greatest Clan in the forest."

I relaxed. "Show me the way out, please." The spirit had said he would save whatever cat was still alive. As long as Ravensun was alive when I reached the end of the tunnels, he would be safe. Every moment counted against me.

The two eyes disappeared, yet I could hear the sound of ghostly paw prints.

"This way!" the male voice called. I would have rather followed Hollyleaf, but her scent was mixed in with this cat's. _Is he even a warrior? He smells so different from my kin!_

I had to trust them. If I did not, then perhaps I would be stuck here forever!

They led me over twists and turns, and a few times I wondered if they were leading me into the darkness even further. But I could feel it, a sort of peeling away from my life. A life being stripped away as I walked. _They're leading me to the right place!_ I could see light ahead. I raced towards it, my heart hammering with excitement. _This is for you, ThunderClan!_

I burst into light and expected to wake up beside the Moonstone, but no… this was still a forest. I blinked, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

Remembering my companions, I turned back. I let out a shocked mew as I saw them, crouched by the exit of the tunnel. _I could see right through them_.

"Come on, Hollyleaf," the male, a ginger-and-white cat, meowed. He gave his companion's ear a gentle lick. "Rock will be waiting for us to tell him how Jaystar did."

"In a moment, Fallen Leaves," the black warrior replied. "There is still one more thing I must tell Jaystar before she wakes up."

She left the tunnel entrance, and as she did her pelt became starshine. _A true StarClan cat_, I thought numbly. _But why does she choose to walk in darkness?_

Hollyleaf stood next to me and pointed out the trees to the left. "Do you see those?" she meowed. "That is where you and your mate and all of your little kits belong. StarClan." The trees seemed to shimmer with light, and I could smell prey. My belly rumbled, thinking of the scarce hunting at home. Leaf-fall was cruel to us this season, especially with the sickness.

"Now over there," Hollyleaf's voice dropped to a whisper as she beckoned to the right, "is where Mapleshade will live."

I stared. The trees were dark, murky, lonesome. As I watched, a pale cat with peculiar markings and a show of scars crept out between the trees. His eyes were murderous as he saw me, and he snarled.

"Who was that?" I whispered.

"His name does not matter," Hollyleaf replied. "He was once a cat who killed cats with joy, his mate and kits the first to die by his claws."

I felt cold. "What does my sister do to deserve walking in a place for murderers?"

Hollyleaf's words were the last breath I felt before waking by the Moonstone.

"Murder."

**First off, BIG shoutout to Bloodyravenheart13 whose character Sharpfang is the Dark Forest warrior Jayfledge and Hollyleaf see. Her fanfiction 'The War is Over' is absolutely amazing, and I just had to cameo the cat who is probably my favorite character.**

**Now to explain something that will be made a bit clearer later now. See, my theories of Rock's tunnels is that he exists pretty much everywhere, that his reward for remaining in the tunnels is that he knows and can go everywhere. Think of the TARDIS if you want.**

**Still thinking Doctor Who-like, think of Fallen Leaves and Hollyleaf as companions. They're not always there, as Fallen Leaves was not always with Rock and only recently has Hollyleaf joined them, but they all can go around and go back in time and stuff.**

**Hollyleaf 'walks in darkness', as Jayfledge put it, because being around her ancestors would probably cause a paradox. But she can be seen by Sharpfang and the Dark Forest warriors because A) they don't care and B) she's not really interacting with them. Plus she doesn't see Sharpfang in the original fic sooooo…**

**Rock can take a life from Jayfledge and use it to help all the other cats because he's insanely powerful. It's sort of hinted in the books after he admits time after time that he can see more than StarClan. If he's more powerful in seeing, imagine what else he can do! Plus he sent Jayfeather back in time more than enough to assume that there is some power going on there.**

**Anyway, that's chapter 18! How did you guys like it? I love all the feedback I'm getting, and I'm really curious to seeing how all of you react to the coming chapters. If you're still waiting for that moment where Jayfledge finally gets what's coming to her, JUST WAIT. Breezestar, we all now know, is going to die. And Breezestar is the reason why everything has gone right for Jayfledge thus far.**

**See you all next week!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Yay, really long chapter! And no, death! And yay, the magic of the ancient cats! And no, Jayfledge gets another undeserved one-up!**

Chapter Nineteen

My paws felt clumsy and slow as I entered ThunderClan camp. No one had stopped me the WindClan and RiverClan territories, but how could they? No one was focusing too much on borders, and messengers were always being sent between the Clans.

I headed straight to the leader's den, pushing aside the lichen so I could see the sleeping shape that was my father.

_I could not save you_, I thought. _But I saved our Clan_.

I fell asleep with my father's scent in my nose, a few fox-lengths from his nest to be safe. _I love you, father. I will see you again in StarClan._

xxx

"Jayfledge, wake up." It was Dewdrop's voice. I opened my eyes and saw the sadness in hers. "It's Breezestar. He's dying, and wants a few words with you before he goes to StarClan."

I immediately got up and padded to my father's nest. His blue eyes were open, but running.

"Jaykit," he rasped. "My precious, little Jaykit."

My heart turned over. "Hush, father," I whispered, knowing I could not touch him but wishing I could. "Save your strength. You still have life left in you yet."

Breezestar chuckled, a wheezing sound. "Don't you think I know what you did? It was a hard choice, my precious one, and I'm glad you chose the Clans over me." His blue eyes fixed on me, hard. "You did not just save ThunderClan," he meowed, his voice cracking with effort. "You saved _all_ the Clans!"

I was vaguely aware of Dewdrop behind us, trying to grasp what Breezestar was saying.

"If I could have saved you, I would," I whispered.

"I know. But I don't mind. I can already hear your mother in my ear."

"No, father." Panic rose in my throat. "Don't leave me!"

"You will be the start of the greatest blood the Clans have ever seen," Breezestar murmured. I remembered the spirit- the Fallen Leaves cat called him Rock, I believe- saying something similar. "Leaders, medicine cats, heroes… but it will all start with you. Jaystar…" His voice faded, and his head crashed into his nest.

"No," I whimpered, my frame shaking. "Father, get up!"

His eyes were open, happiness still shining in them.

"Breezestar!" I ordered, my legs collapsing. Dewdrop rushed over to help me, but I shook her off. "Breezestar, come back! I need you!"

I let out a wail, one that would surely pierce the skies. "_Breezestar!_"

xxx

I crouched in the middle of the clearing, Breezestar's body before me. My body felt cold, colder than ice, colder than the Moonstone. Cats paced around me, unsure of what to do.

A familiar scent, faintly tinged with sickness, washed over me. A tongue rasped across my ear. And I sat up and buried my face into his pelt.

"It'll be all right," Ravensun whispered. "You did what you had to do."

Of course I had to tell the Clan what I had done. But I left out the part in which I would not receive an ninth life. I did not want my cats to think I was weak.

But the Clan itself was not weak. Cats seemed to get better instantaneously. Like Ravensun. But I could not save them all- Froghop, the first to vouch for me whenever someone questioned my authority, was dead. His body lay near my father's, and Whitedrop hung her head above it, her eyes staring at nothing. Strongpaw lay unmoving near them as well.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered bitterly. It was not Ravensun who answered my question, but Dewdrop.

"You receive your nine lives," she meowed, coming forward. "Come, Jayfledge."

xxx

This time when I fell asleep beside the Moonstone, I did not wake in the underground cavern. My eyes blinked open after a moment of my body feeling like ice, and I was surrounded by a snowy plain.

"Welcome, Jayfledge," a murmur seemed to say, and I sat up straighter. Perhaps Hollyleaf was here! I looked around, trying to catch sight of my descendant's black pelt. But there were no cats to be seen.

I looked up, seeing the stars. _Silverpelt?_ But I thought I was _in_ Silverpelt. Movement caught my eye and all rational thoughts left my mind.

_The stars are moving!_

One by one, the stars twirled down and landed before me. No, they were not stars- they were _cats_. Cats with stars in their fur!

"Jayfledge," the voices of so many cats meowed, yet not one of them moved. "Are you ready to receive your eight lives and new name?"

I shivered. _Eight_. But that was a sacrifice to my Clan, and the StarClan warriors did not seem angry about it.

"I'm ready," I meowed, hoping that they did not hear the nervous tremble in my mew.

A shape stepped forward, and my heart leaped. _Morningshade!_

"My beautiful daughter," she purred. "You have turned out to be a fine warrior, and I'm very proud of you."

She pressed her nose to my forehead, and I gasped at how cold it was.

"With this life I give you a mother's love for her kits. The whole Clan is your family now."

Anger and fierce protectiveness pierced through me, and I shuddered with the weight of responsibility I felt. When Morningshade padded away, I was trembling. Would all lives feel like this?

A new cat replaced her, this one small and lithe, a pale shape, as pale as a star. I felt grief worm its way into my belly.

"Oh, Fledgekit," I whispered. He purred.

"With this life," he announced, reaching up to touch for temple with his nose, "I give you the capability for forgiveness. Some things are best left in the past."

This life was soothing, and I purred. "I named my son after you," I whispered.

"I know," he meowed. "And I will always watch over him- you too."

Fledgekit was replaced by a warrior I knew well.

"Froghop!"

"Didn't think you'd see me so soon, would you, Jayfledge?" he meowed teasingly, winking. He touched his nose to my pelt. "With this life, I give you loyalty to your Clanmates. Every warrior, down to the smallest kit, has the potential of being the greatest warrior."

A spasm of pain shot through me, and the blood pounding in my ears turned to yowls of protesting cats. A feeling of retort boiled inside of me, and I snarled.

My eyes widened at the cat next to grant me a life.

"Greetings, Jayfledge," Lightstar meowed. "I always knew you would become a great warrior. I could see it the second I saw you at the Gathering, a kit whose parents lied about her becoming an apprentice early. I always knew, and watched your progress with interest.

"With this life, I give you sympathy for other Clans. Use it wisely, for Clans aren't always truthful in their reports."

A wave of dizziness passed through me; indecision of whom to trust, and I was gasping as Lightstar left.

"Jayfledge," a voice whispered.

My head snapped up. "Breezestar?"

Breezestar came forward, his coat shining and his eyes as bright as they had been in his youth. "I always knew you would be here someday, ready to lead the Clan with excellence." I bowed my head, and he meowed, "I give you the courage to lead warriors into battle. Cats will get hurt because of your decisions, but remember that they are ready to die for you."

Fire raced through my veins, and I felt the lust for the feel of fur ripping under my paws. I, too, was ready to die for my Clanmates.

Breezestar hesitated before leaving me, giving me a quick nuzzle on the head. Next came Brambleberry, the warrior to speak out against me leading a battle patrol.

She gave no introduction, only the life. "With this life I give you the power to speak out against what you believe is wrong, even if in the end it is _you_ who were the one to be proven wrong."

I felt quick betrayal slash through my body, and I was trembling when the next warrior came towards me.

"Greetings, Jayfledge." It was Rattooth, Ravensun's father. "I've been keeping an eye out on my son. Thank you for risking your life for his."

I nodded as he continued, "With this life I give you the ability to love what you know you should not."

Love, as fierce as the life Morningshade gave me, passed through me. "You loved Ravensun as your son, even though he lived in another Clan," I meowed. Rattooth nodded.

"I could not stand the way Kestrelcall treated him as an apprentice. I loved the she-cat once, I admit, but I wanted my son to see the light."

He nodded and joined the others. I craned my head, wondering who would give me my final life.

"Jay's Fledgling."

I turned and saw the spirit Rock behind me. Fallen Leaves was with him, but where was Hollyleaf?

"She cannot be here," the frightening spirit meowed, as if he could read my mind. "Her time has not yet arrived in the Clans, and until then she cannot walk these skies with her ancestors."

I dipped my head. Poor Hollyleaf.

"I have the honor of presenting you with your last life," Rock continued, stepping forward. I shivered at the thought of allowing this tom to touch me, but allowed him to anyway.

"With this life," he announced, "I give you strength for what lies ahead. You will question your own judgment, child, but you must always remember that your word is law as a leader. You will know what to do when the time comes, and your cats will support you."

It was as if he was pouring energy into my body. I felt like I could run from here and keep running, away from the Clans, the Highstones, and even beyond!

Rock stepped back. "From this moment on, you are Jaystar of ThunderClan. Welcome."

"Welcome," the cats of StarClan seemed to whisper. "Jaystar, Jaystar, Jaystar…"


	20. Chapter 20

**Nothing much to say right now. Just finished reading ****_Allegiant_**** by Veronica Roth and feel a bit emotionally unstable right now. So if there's a problem with and grammar that seems obvious and I should have seen I'm sorry, but I can't concentrate right now.**

Chapter Twenty

"Jaystar!" Sunpaw was the first to greet me by my new name. "You're back!"

I nodded wearily. Dewdrop had insisted on returning to camp quickly, forbidding any sort of rest on the way back.

"You must pick your deputy by moonhigh," she meowed, pushing me along. "StarClan will be angry if you don't!"

One by one, my warriors trickled out of their dens to greet me. Ravensun and Whitedrop were one of the firsts, but Mapleshade was close behind.

"Jaystar!" my Clan called out. "Jaystar!"

I dipped my head. "Thank you," I meowed. "I may hold the title 'leader', but I'll be listening to all of your opinions over the next few moons while the Clans are recovering."

My cats murmured their approval, and Dewdrop nudged me. "It's time to select a deputy," she meowed, motioning to the Highrock.

"Can't I have some time to think?" I asked, startled.

Dewdrop hesitated. "Just remember you have to name one before moonhigh," she meowed. She headed back to the medicine cat den- Briarpelt had been weakened by the sickness and was still in danger, even though the sickness had passed. My kits each gave me a nuzzle before scurrying towards the apprentices' den. I watched them go. They were old enough to be warriors. The thought prided me; the first warriors I would name would be my kits!

I headed towards the leaders' den- no, it was _my_ den now. I thought of my nest in the warriors' den sadly. Would I ever fall asleep next to Ravensun again?

I pushed back the lichen. The den still stank slightly of sickness, and I made a mental note to tell one of the apprentices to get rid of the nest in time. I settled on the soft sand, preparing myself to think.

The lichen rustled and I looked up to see Ravensun pushing himself into my den.

"Jayfle-star," he meowed, correcting himself quickly. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course," I meowed, motioning him to sit down next to me. "What's on your mind?"

He hesitated. "I don't know if you were considering me as your deputy," he began, "but don't."

"What?" I was hurt. There was no one else I wanted more to have by my side, supporting me forever. "Why not?"

"I don't like responsibility, and I'm half-Clan." Ravensun blinked at me. "There are so many cats more willing and better than me. Please, Jaystar."

I nodded half-heartedly. "I won't force you to do something you don't want to do. Thank you for telling me."

He licked my ear. "I'm sure you will pick the perfect deputy, Jaystar. I have every faith in you."

Once he was gone, I was alone again. My eyes closed in concentration as I thought. Once, long ago, I would have chosen Mapleshade as my deputy. But she was breaking the warrior code, and she was expecting kits. She was not an option.

Excluding Ravensun, whom in my Clan did I trust with even my darkest secrets? My eyes snapped open. There was only one.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" I called as I stepped out of my den and jumped onto the Highrock. My stomach fluttered as my Clan circled below, staring up expectantly.

My eyes sought my sister, and found her. Her eyes twinkled and I knew she was expecting to be deputy. But how could she, knowing that, if she really was expecting, she would have to be exiled if she continued to see the RiverClan tom?

"I say these words before StarClan, so that they may here and approve my choice." I took a deep breath. "Whitedrop will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

The white warrior's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. I nodded. This was my choice, and I knew Whitedrop would be perfect as the leader of ThunderClan in the future.

Cats looked as if they were going to leave after congratulating their new deputy, so I called, "There is one more thing I must do." I purred. "There are seven warriors that need to be named."

xxx

I entered my den that night, looking back one last time at the new warriors on vigil. Sweetbriar, Sunshine, Shadepelt, Fledgeflight, Smallear, Wishwater, and Redbird all sat straight, eyes towards the ravine, sitting proud. I purred. My kits and apprentice were warriors. I doubted anyone had ever been as proud as I was.

I was surprised to see a cat in my den, but perhaps I should have expected this. After all, I had gone against a promise I had made long ago, after an argument we had about who would be leader and who would be deputy.

"Mapleshade," I greeted. "Shouldn't you be in your nest?"

She hissed. "You know very well why I'm here," she meowed. "Whatever happened to 'Maplekit, if I'm ever leader you can be my deputy'?"

I raised my head. "That was before, when you weren't breaking the warrior code."

"What, are you going to kick me out?" Her voice was full of scorn, but her eyes flickered with alarm. I felt sympathetic, but I knew what I was about to say next would probably not be approved by StarClan.

"I should, given your condition."

"You… you know?"

"I heard you tell him myself. Oh Mapleshade, what would you do in my position? You saw what Breezestar did to Kestrelcall. But…" I sighed. "But you're my sister. I love you, and I can't make you leave. Mapleshade, if you promise to never see that tom again, I will allow you and your kits to remain in ThunderClan."

"But that's not fair!" Mapleshade argued with a snarl. "We're doing no harm! I could fight RiverClan just as well as I could before I met Stonestream!"

"That's not the point, Mapleshade! It's bad enough I am giving you this last chance- take it! Take it, and let's all live together until we die."

"We will!" Mapleshade growled. "As you said, Jaystar, I am your sister. Sisters are forever. No matter what you say, I know you will do nothing to stop me."

She shouldered her way passed me, and she turned one last time before leaving to give me one more statement.

"I will keep seeing Stonestream, because you love me. And there is nothing you can do to stop me!"


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello everyone! Ready for another chapter?**

Chapter Twenty-one

"Aren't they beautiful?" Mapleshade whispered to me. I nodded, for once happy that my sister had kits. There were three: a white she-kit, a bright ginger tom, and a light gray she-kit. They had the kind of pelts she could get away without anyone knowing that they were half-RiverClan, but I knew better than to be less than worried. She had seen Stonestream many times within the last few days, even when she should have been confined to the nursery. I had seen her.

I should have stopped her.

"Are you going to name them?" whispered Sweetbriar. She had moved into the nursery within the past moon, pregnant with Redbird's kits. Seeing my own kit ready to have kits was disturbing, and I now understood why my father was slightly angry with Ravensun for taking me as a mate.

"The white one will be Snowkit, the ginger one will be Flamekit, and the gray one will be Streamkit," Mapleshade mewed, looking down proudly at her litter. _Streamkit_. Named after Stonestream. _Of course_.

"Those are wonderful names," I murmured. Mapleshade looked at me and nodded. She knew that I was worried about Streamkit's name, and I could see the challenge in her eyes. I met her gaze evenly, not allowing myself to lose.

"Jaystar?" That was Whitedrop. The sunhigh patrol on the WindClan side had come back, and she sounded worried. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course." Thankful to get away from my sister, I stepped out of the nursery and nodded to my friend. "What is it?"

Her brown eyes were worried. "There was a slight problem on the patrol today," she reported. "WindClan cats ambushed us."

"_What?!_" I cried. Looking passed her, I noticed the group of cats going into Dewdrop's den. With a pang, I noticed Sunshine and Smallear among them. "How dare they! I thought we were allies!"

"According to Heatherflower, the new WindClan deputy, WindClan alliance was with _Breezestar_, not you."

"What matter does it make?" I snarled, and began to pace. My Clan heard me and I saw faces looking in my direction. "WindClan betrayed us! We should attack!"

"Yes!" my Clanmates yowled.

"Dewdrop!" I called. "Are our warriors fit for battle?"

"Yes, Jaystar!" she answered.

"Then Whitedrop! Gather some warriors and let's show WindClan warriors what we're made of!"

Cats began to race towards my deputy, their voices raised in caterwauls. I sat back and watched my warriors through slit eyes. Each and every one of these cats would help me put WindClan in their place. This I knew.

Soon a large group of cats were looking at me, ready for my signal. Standing taller, I meowed, "Are we all ready? Then let's go."

There was nothing like the rush of power that coursed through my paws as my warriors followed suit behind me. The forest flashed before our eyes and we were in WindClan territory in seconds.

"We attack immediately without form," I meowed to Whitedrop as we closed in on the camp. "A sudden attack that looks like chaos will scare the rabbit-hearts."

She nodded. "I remember learning that attack from Breezestar," she meowed.

"It's his favorite form of attack." _This is for your- no, _our_- honor, Breezestar._

The WindClan camp was in sight. Energy sparked and ThunderClan pelted forward faster until I screeched, "ThunderClan, _attack!"_

I slammed into a ready body. _Ready?_ How could these warriors know that we were going to attack?

My battle moves were far more superior than this warrior's; he was screaming for his other in seconds. But those few hits he got in wounded me, and I was gasping as I saw a silver tabby pelt flash in my direction.

"Harestar," I snarled.

"Jaystar," she meowed calmly. "Why are you attacking our camp?"

"You attacked my warriors."

"To send a message." She looked so calm. "WindClan is not in your debt. We were in Breezestar's."

"You were in _ThunderClan's_," I snarled.

"But was it up to ThunderClan to make the final decision? No. It was your father's." Her claws flashed out and I felt a sting on my cheek. I hissed in fury and pain. "I feel sorry for your loss. Truly sorry. Your father was a great tom." Her eyes darkened. "A much better leader than his daughter."

Her WindClan speed gave her the advantage as she leapt at me. She pinned me down and purred.

"Dear Jaykit, do you truly believe you are ready to lead a Clan? You're barely a warrior, hardly trained for the stress of leading your Clan. You're too predictable and soft on your warriors. A _true_ leader would have thought out the problem and maybe tried to talk about it."

Her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned towards my ear.

"How long until your warriors realize what sort of leader you are and turn on you?"

I screeched and thrashed under her grip, but for a WindClan-blooded cat, she was strong.

"Poor, poor Jaykit," Harestar cooed. "Barely out of the nursery and already a leader because daddy loved her best. Your father isn't here anymore, so who is going to give you all of the advantages you basked in for moons?"

"Get off of me!" I yowled.

"Who's going to make me? A dead cats? Call off your warriors, Jaykit, and then I will."

"Never," I snarled.

"Very well," she meowed. Her claws flashed out, and I fell into blackness.

xxx

_"Jaystar!"_

_"Jaystar!"_

_"ThunderClan, retreat!"_

_"Bring Jaystar!"_

I could not answer my warriors but I could hear them. I suspended in a black space with no way of getting out.

Suddenly, I felt a light peeling on my skin, and I saw a ghost of myself slip away.

_I lost a life?_

I had just become a leader! Was it really that easy to lose a life?!

A solid paw prodded me on the shoulder, and I opened my eyes. I was in the ThunderClan medicine cat's den. Dewdrop leaned over me.

"Jaystar!" she meowed, her whiskers twitching with relief. "You're okay!"

"Jaystar?" I heard Ravensun's worried meow echo from far away. He must be outside.

"Stay out there, Ravensun," Dewdrop meowed quickly, and leaned closer to me. "You lost a life, Jaystar," she meowed, confirming my suspicions. "You have seven lives now."

Right. I was already missing one. My life seemed to shorten before me, and a sinking feeling grew in my chest. _How long will it be until I lose my last life?_

"What did StarClan tell you?" she continued.

"StarClan?" I mumbled, my tongue clumsy in my mouth.

"When you lost your life. StarClan spoke to you, right?"

StarClan had done nothing. I had been alone in death.

"Nothing special," I meowed. I began to struggle to get up, but Dewdrop tried to stop me.

"StarClan may have healed the injury that killed you, but you still have many more. Rest, Jaystar, please."

"I need to see my Clan," I meowed, shaking her off of me.

I stumbled my way out of the den and nearly crashed into Ravensun.

"Jaystar!" My mate's eyes were round with worry and relief. "Thank StarClan you're all right!"

StarClan again. But where were they when I was trapped under Harestar's paws? When I was _dead_?!

"StarClan had nothing to do with it," I snarled as I brushed passed him. I saw his eyes flash with hurt but continued walking.


End file.
